Axens Awarded Contract by YPF for 5,000 m³/day Diesel Hydrotreating Unit

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 2, Axens was awarded a contract by YPF to implement a 5,000 m³/day low-sulfur diesel hydrotreating unit at a YPF industrial complex in Argentina, utilizing Axens' Prime-D technology and delivered in a pre-fabricated modular format. Axens' scope covers the process technology and modular unit implementation, with the project to proceed while the existing refinery remains in operation.

According to the plan announced by Axens, pressure vessels, steel structures, piping, and instrumentation will be pre-integrated into modules, assembled at dedicated fabrication yards, and then transported to the project site. Compared to traditional on-site stick-built construction, the modular delivery approach is expected to shorten the overall project schedule by approximately 6 months and reduce civil works, installation, and cross-discipline construction activities within the refinery. Axens also clarified that the execution plan for this project is designed to minimize the impact of on-site construction activities on the operation of existing refining units.

YPF is concurrently advancing diesel quality upgrades across its refining system. According to the company's Q2 2026 data, the new diesel hydrotreating unit at the Luján de Cuyo refinery was commissioned in July; the new hydrotreating units at the La Plata and Plaza Huincul refineries had previously completed extended basic engineering and reached a final investment decision in May 2026. Upon completion of the relevant construction, YPF's refining system will further comply with new diesel specification requirements.

YPF has previously disclosed that the La Plata refinery has a nominal processing capacity of approximately 198,900 barrels per day, equipped with multiple secondary processing units including diesel hydrofining. The company has been implementing fuel sulfur content upgrade projects since 2018 and has completed the FCC naphtha hydrotreating and Magnaforming unit revamp at the La Plata refinery. As of late 2025, YPF still listed the new diesel hydrotreating units at La Plata and Plaza Huincul as follow-up projects to fully upgrade diesel production to the 10 ppm sulfur specification.

Axens' latest announcement did not specify whether the 5,000 m³/day Prime-D unit corresponds to La Plata or Plaza Huincul, nor did it disclose the contract value, number of modules, hydrogen demand, catalyst loading volume, or the official start-up date. The implementation chain that can be confirmed at this stage is as follows: YPF has completed the engineering decisions for the relevant diesel quality upgrade projects, Axens has secured the contract for the 5,000 m³/day low-sulfur diesel hydrotreating unit, and the subsequent phases will proceed to module fabrication, transportation, on-site installation, and commissioning.