Zhenhai Refining & Chemical Co. (ZRCC), a subsidiary of China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec), and Linde AG have formed a €145-million joint venture to boost industrial gas supplies to local petrochemical, steel, and electronics customers operating in the Ningbo Chemical Industrial Zone in eastern China's Zhejiang province.
The newly formed Ningbo Linde-ZRCC Gases Co. Ltd. (Linde-ZRCC) marks the sixth consecutive 50-50 JV between Sinopec and Linde and complements the Chinese government's plans to develop Ningbo into a modern petrochemical hub as well as Linde’s growth plans to support customers Asia Pacific, the service provider said on June 20.
As part of the agreement, Linde-ZRCC will acquire two existing air separation units (ASUs) from ZRCC and build a third ASU for a combined oxygen capacity of 150,000 cu m/hr.
Scheduled to be on stream sometime in 2018, the new ASU will incorporate Linde’s proprietary technologies for remote operation, diagnostics and analytics, as well as a modular design to increase efficiency, reduce energy requirements, and enhance production flexibility.
The three additional ASUs, which will double Linde’s production capacity of air gases in the Ningbo cluster, also will be connected to the service provider’s pipeline supply network across Ningbo, Linde said.
ZRCC operates the 461,890-b/d integrated refining and petrochemical complex at Ningbo City, which is China’s largest.
Contact Robert Brelsford at [email protected].