UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, announced that LG Chem, Ltd. has selected UOP distillation and mass transfer equipment to increase ethylene production at LG’s petrochemical plant in Yeosu, South Korea. LG Chem will use the UOP’s SimulFlow technology to increase throughput of feedstock, allowing LG Chem to increase its current ethylene production starting in 2010 when the unit comes on line.
“This will be the first commercial application of our novel SimulFlow technology,” said Greg Wisniewski, product line manager for UOP Process Equipment. “The LG petrochemicals plant has utilized UOP mass transfer technologies for nearly 15 years, and we are confident that the SimulFlow solution will further help LG to maximize its current assets and achieve their objectives for increased production.”
The UOP SimulFlow device, the newest offering in UOP’s portfolio of equipment solutions, is a super-high-capacity distillation device that supports the fractionation of petrochemical and refinery process streams. The device offers more than 100 percent improvement in capacity over conventional distillation trays which can be used to maximize the profitability and operating efficiency of existing plants. SimulFlow can also be used to minimize plot space requirements and capital investments for onshore and offshore applications.