LyondellBasell works with Technip Energies, Chevron Phillips to pursue new electric furnace technology

Netherlands-based advanced recycler LyondellBasell has signed a memorandum of understanding with France-based Technip Energies and The Woodlands, Texas-based Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. LLC (CPChem) to potentially design, construct and operate a demonstration unit using Technip’s electric steam cracking furnace technology (eFurnace by T.EN). LyondellBasell says it expects a joint development agreement to be signed later this year.

The company says the new eFurnace technology could enable it to use renewable electricity as a heat source for the olefins cracking process in the future, reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint of its olefins production process and helping the company meet its ambitious climate targets.

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“We are taking decisive steps to reduce our absolute scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions, while creating solutions for everyday sustainable living,” LyondellBasell CEO Peter Vanacker says. “Deployment of an industrial-scale electric cracking furnace is one option we are considering in this space because of its ability to reduce furnace GHG emissions by up to 90 percent compared to a conventional furnace.”

LyondellBasell says construction of the demonstration unit—its first—is an essential step in the development of eFurnace technology and a critical precondition for potential future construction of a full-scale unit. The company adds it will enable it to test the technology and confirm continuous olefin production is possible using electricity as a heat source.

“We are delighted to team up with LyondellBasell and CPChem to bring the eFurnace by T.EN to fruition,” Technip CEO Arnaud Pieton says. “Consistent with our purpose to engineer a much-needed sustainable future, Technip Energies is making huge strides toward reducing the CO₂ emissions resulting from the production of ethylene and this design will enable olefins producers to take advantage of the growing supply of available renewable energy to operate the most energy-intensive part of the plant.”

LyondellBasell says its Channelview complex in Houston offers an optimal environment for the demonstration unit due to its operational excellence, feedstock flexibility and electric grid infrastructure, proximity to the other MOU parties and access to expertise at the company’s Houston Technology Center. The three parties plan to assemble a joint development team to support the implementation of the project.

“Climate change is a global issue that will take action from all segments of society, and we want to be part of the solution by reducing the intensity of our carbon footprint,” CPChem President and CEO Bruce Chinn says. “This project supports our efforts toward lowering the carbon intensity of our operations and demonstrates our continued focus on accelerating change for a sustainable future.”

LyondellBasell says it is committed to reaching net-zero scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 2050 and has set ambitious interim targets to reduce scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 42 percent and scope 3 GHG emissions 30 percent by 2030, relative to a 2020 baseline. To reach these targets, the company is deploying emissions reduction initiatives at its sites. The company also has announced plans to develop an integrated hub in Houston to support the growth of its circular and low-carbon solutions business, which will leverage existing capabilities at its sites in Houston, such as Channelview.