Methanol-to-olefins process technology: current status and future prospects

The methanol-to-gasoline (MTG) and methanol-to-olefins (MTO) process are 2 epochal technological discoveries in the synfuels arena, first introduced by Mobil Oil Corporation, some 50 years after the Fischer-Tropsch process. Apart from the technological breakthroughs, the MTG and MTO processes have also provided a rich tableau for scientific research and pursuits. In this report, we will first provide anecdotal information pertaining to the discovery and development of these 2 processes. We will then focus on how the MTO process has evolved into a stand-alone technology in its own right for the 2 value-added products, ethylene, and propylene. Currently, UOP/Hydro is the world’s leading commercial technology supplier/licensor, for the MTO process, with Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) and Sinopec, as its close competitors. It appears that the MTO technology is now primed for future advancements and expansions. Two recent MTO production sites put in place with UOP/Norsk technology licensors, became operational recently, both in China: The newest is a 0.8 MM MTPA venture, licensed and operated by Jiangsu Sailboat Petrochemical Company, and the 0.3 MM MTPA Wison China Clean Energy venture started in 2013, licensed and operated by Wison Energy.