Clariant Wins Contract to Supply Catalysts for the World's Largest Propane Dehydrogenation Unit

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Shanghai, China, September 15, 2026, Clariant, a sustainability-focused specialty chemicals company, announced today that it has signed a supply contract with Zhejiang Petroleum & Chemical Co., Ltd. (ZPC) to provide CATOFIN™ catalysts and Heat Generating Material (HGM) for a new propane dehydrogenation unit in Zhejiang Province. The unit is designed with an annual capacity of 1.2 million tons and will be the world's largest licensed propane dehydrogenation unit.

Jace Wang, Global Vice President of Propylene Business at Clariant Catalysts, said: "This project, the world's largest PDH unit, is a milestone. ZPC's selection of the CATOFIN process for this benchmark project fully demonstrates the outstanding performance and reliable stability our catalyst technology delivers in the industry."

ZPC's choice fully reflects the industry's approach to developing large-scale propane dehydrogenation projects. The technology's core relies on the deep collaboration between Lummus and Clariant: Lummus provides the proprietary process technology, while Clariant supplies the innovative catalysts. Together, they deliver an integrated solution that precisely meets the core demands of PDH producers — stable, high-yield propylene production, excellent operating performance, and highly competitive production costs.

Leveraging ZPC's ongoing expansion of upstream refining units, the project will secure additional propane feedstock supply. The propylene produced by the new unit will serve as feedstock for the production of various high-value-added petrochemical derivatives.

Romain Lemoine, Chief Commercial Officer of Lummus Technology, said: "ZPC's selection of Lummus Technology for its world's largest propane dehydrogenation unit fully confirms the proven outstanding performance of CATOFIN technology and reflects the deep foundation of cooperation between the two parties. As market demand for propylene continues to grow, customers are continuously advancing larger-scale projects. CATOFIN technology has numerous operating records that meet or exceed design capacity, once again validating its technical reliability and further consolidating the process's advantageous position as a highly trusted technology solution for PDH producers worldwide."

CATOFIN technology has undergone more than 60 years of continuous iterative optimization and consistently achieves outstanding output through high operational stability and selectivity. Since 2017, CATOFIN has repeatedly won orders for new propane dehydrogenation projects globally, with a total of more than 40 projects.