Skip to main content

Sulphur 417 Mar-Apr 2025

Topsoe chosen as technology provider for SAF project in Guangxi


CHINA

Topsoe chosen as technology provider for SAF project in Guangxi

Topsoe has been selected by Guangxi Free Trade Zone Chuangui Lingang New Energy Co., Ltd to deliver technology and services to produce sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and renewable diesel.

The agreement represents Topsoe’s second SAF project in China, following its first agreement in April 2024. The plant will be located in Guangxi, China, and reached final investment decision (FID) in December 2024, with operations due to begin in December 2026. Once operational and at full capacity, the plant expects to process 300,000 t/a of feedstock into SAF and renewable diesel per year.

Elena Scaltritti, Chief Commercial Officer at Topsoe, said: “Our partnership with Chuangui New Energy company is an important milestone for the growth of Topsoe’s SAF offering in China and reflects our commitment to scale SAF production across the globe. We look forward to supporting critical energy transitional industries in China, such as Chuangui New Energy company, and deliver on its decarbonisation goals.”

Latest in Asia

Coromandel starts trial operations at new acid plants

Coromandel International says that it has started trial production at its new sulphuric acid and phosphoric acid plants in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. The company says that this marks a crucial step towards transforming the unit into a fully integrated facility, significantly enhancing production capacity and diminishing reliance on imported raw materials for fertiliser manufacturing. The company is now focusing on a phased ramp-up. The new plants have of 2,000 t/d of sulphuric acid and 650 t/d of phosphoric acid, respectively. The integration of these acid plants is strategic, aligning with Coromandel's objective to strengthen backward integration in its fertiliser manufacturing value chain. By producing key intermediates in-house, the company aims to secure stable supplies, enhance cost efficiencies, and achieve greater self-sufficiency, thereby reducing dependence on imported raw materials. The project aims to replace over 50% of the Kakinada plant's imported acid requirements and mirror the integration levels seen at its Vizag and Ennore facilities.

Indonesian nickel shutdown to cut sulphur/acid demand

Four Chinese-operated nickel plants at the Indonesian Morowali Industrial Park have temporarily ceased operations following a fatal landslide in February, in a development that will significantly reduce regional demand for sulphur and sulphuric acid. The shutdowns affect facilities run by China’s GEM Co. and its partners, which together account for 30% of Indonesia’s high-pressure acid leaching (HPAL) capacity. The move comes amid heightened regulatory scrutiny. The largest of the four plants, PT QMB New Energy Materials, could remain offline for up to three months.

NCOC seeks arbitration over sulphur fine

The North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC), which operates the huge Kashagan oil field in Kazakhstan, has said that it is seeking international arbitration to resolve its ongoing dispute with the government of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan has imposed a swingeing $4.6 billion fine for alleged violations of sulphur storage regulations at the NCOC site. In December, a special administrative court in Astana turned down an appeal by NCOC, although it also granted leave to appeal in a higher court. NCOC, a partnership between Shell, Eni, TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil, China National Petroleum Corporation, Inpex and Kazakh state oil and gas company KazMunayGaz, continues to maintain that its sulphur handling operations have been conducted in compliance with Kazakhstan’s laws and that it had the required permits in place.