Honeywell UOP, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., provides reliable technical services and support to a number of sectors, and has expertise in plant operations, asset management, customised training, strategic and tactical support, troubleshooting, and engineering services. Recently, on March 21, 2017, the company announced that it will be providing technologies for the expansion and modernisation of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited’s (HPCL) refinery at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The scope of work includes licensing, basic engineering design and other associated services for a Penex™ isomerisation unit, which helps make cleaner-burning high-octane gasoline, and a Unicracking™ hydrocracking unit to produce cleaner-burning diesel fuel.
So far, Honeywell UOP has licensed more than 160 Penex units and 220 Unicracking units. The Penex process upgrades light naphtha feedstock to produce isomerate, a cleaner gasoline blend-stock that does not contain benzene, aromatics or olefins. The process uses Honeywell UOP’s portfolio of proven, high-activity isomerisation and benzene saturation catalysts. On the other hand, the Unicracking process uses highly effective catalysts, unit design and reactor internals to produce higher yields of cleaner-burning fuels from a wider range of feedstocks.
Together, the two processes will significantly enhance HPCL’s ability to supply gasoline and diesel that meets the Indian government’s new Bharat Stage-VI clean fuels standard. They will also improve gross refining margins by converting low-value feedstocks to high-value transportation fuels.