Construction of the first large-scale electric heating steam cracking unit

Recently, BASF, SABIC and Linde announced that the three companies have started to build the world's first large-scale electric heating steam cracking furnace demonstration device. The three companies said that by replacing natural gas with electricity from renewable resources, the new technology could reduce carbon dioxide emissions in steam cracking production by at least 90%.

It is reported that the demonstration unit will be fully integrated into an existing BASF steam cracking unit located in Ludwigshafen, and the production time is scheduled to be 2023. BASF and SABIC jointly invest in this project, and the demonstration unit will be operated by BASF. Linde is the engineering, procurement and construction partner of the project and will commercialize the technology in the future. In addition, the project has received 14.8 million euros from the "Industrial Decarbonization" funding plan of the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action of Germany.

Bo Mule, chairman of BASF's executive board, said: "BASF's mission is to achieve climate neutrality, and the electrification of the huge energy intensive steam cracking unit is an important milestone in our transition to net zero emissions. We are proud that BASF has received project funding from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action. This proves that our approach has also been supported by policy makers."