China’s aromatics building boom

The global center of mass in aromatic chemical manufacturing is shifting toward China. In 2019, Zhejiang Petroleum and Chemical (ZPC) opened a complex on Dayushan Island, near the Chinese ports of Shanghai and Ningbo, that had the capacity to refine 20 million metric tons (t) of oil per year. ZPC doubled output 3 years later, making the refinery one of the largest in the world. But what really makes the complex extraordinary is its chemical capacity. It can produce 11.8 million t per year of aromatic chemicals, primarily benzene and p -xylene, and 4.2 million t of olefins. In just 6 years, ZPC built facilities with nearly the basic chemical output of LyondellBasell Industries, one of the world's largest established chemical makers. Integrated refining and chemical complexes typically produce 15–20% of their output as chemicals like olefins and aromatics. ZPC's chemical yield is 40%. The Dayushan facility is the grandest