Honeywell announced today that Shandong Chambroad Holding Co., Ltd. has become the first company in China to commission a combined C3/C4 dehydrogenation unit to meet growing demand in Asia for plastics, high-octane gasoline and synthetic rubber.

The new unit, which is the first of three in China, uses Honeywell UOP’s C3/C4 Oleflex™ process technology to produce propylene, a building block for making plastics, packaging and synthetic fiber, and isobutylene, a component used for high-octane gasoline and synthetic rubber. The unit, which is only the second of its kind in the world, successfully started up in May and all production targets have been accepted. Two other Chinese producers have also licensed the technology for start up in 2017.

“As the demand for transportation fuels and petrochemicals continues to grow in China, petrochemical companies there see a real benefit from integrating processes,” said Mike Millard, vice president and general manager of Honeywell UOP’s Process Technology and Equipment business. “The start up of the first combined C3/C4 Oleflex unit in China is a milestone in the region’s petrochemical production, and it will help Chambroad manage market conditions more efficiently.”