FJ Management Inc. subsidiary Big West Oil LLC has let a contract to Honeywell UOP LLC to deliver technology for the conversion of an existing hydrofluoric acid (HF) alkylation unit at its 33,000-b/d refinery in North Salt Lake City, Utah, into an alkylation unit based on ionic liquids alkylation technology.
As part of the contract, Honeywell UOP will license the Chevron USA Inc.-developed ISOALKY alkylation technology that uses a nonaqueous liquid salt, or ionic liquid, instead of HF or sulfuric acids as a liquid alkylation catalyst to produce a high-octane alkylate blending component for production of clean-burning fuels, the service provider said on Nov. 11.
Alongside representing a key component of Big West Oil’s Tier 3 solution to deliver low-sulfur gasoline to the Utah market, the planned unit revamp also will improve the refinery’s operational efficiency, according to Mike Swanson, president of Big West Oil’s refining division.
Honeywell UOP disclosed neither a value of the contract nor a timeframe for completion of the proposed unit revamp.
Announcement of Big West Oil’s HF-to-ISOALKY alkylation unit conversion project follows startup of the first commercial-scale HF-to-ISOALKY unit revamp earlier this year at nearby Chevron Corp.’s 58,000-b/d Salt Lake City refinery (OGJ Online, Apr. 13, 2021).
Suitable for existing unit retrofits or new units, ISOALKY technology affords refiners process safety, performance, and economic advantages compared to conventional liquid acid alkylation technologies, as ionic liquids have strong acid properties that allow them to produce alkylate without the volatility of conventional acids, providing for simpler handling procedures requiring only standard personal protective equipment, according to the service provider.
Additionally, ionic liquids are regenerated on-site, eliminating any need for road or marine transportation for offsite regeneration and polymer byproduct handling.
In April, Chevron and Honeywell UOP said a series of ISOALKY technology unit revamps was under way in North America, with additional units scheduled for startup in China as well. Further details on those projects, however, have yet to be revealed.
