Mr.

Jon Horler
Acetyls Project & Engineering Manager
BP

A Chartered Chemical Engineer, Mr. Jon Horler has worked for BP for 25
years and leads a team responsible for the delivery of technology and
engineering in support of BPs proprietary package for the manufacture
of Acetic Acid.
Part of his role is also to provide project management during concept
selection and early stage development for licensing opportunities
worldwide.
Mr. Jon has previously worked on major projects in the UK, China,
Taiwan, Malaysia, Korea and India.

Overview of Acetic acid Production

Through Petcoke Gasification
IOCL Petrochemicals Conclave
18th March 2013
Jon Horler, Projects and Engineering Manager
Acetyls and Aromatics Technology
2013 BP Chemicals Limited All rights reserved

Outline
Overview:
What is Acetic Acid
Key Uses of Acetic Acid
Chemistry
Feedstock Choices
Acetic Acid Technology
Sources of Project Value

2013 BP Chemicals Limited All rights reserved

What is Acetic Acid?

A very important chemical
A key raw material for the production of a wide
number of products we use in our everyday
lives

Do you know that acetic acid in its very dilute

form is vinegar that is consumed or used in the
manufacture of food products?
Acetic acid is involved in the manufacture of
other items you'll find in your shopping basket,
such as washing powder, drink bottles and food
packaging

With just 1 tonne

of acetic acid our
customers can
make 38,000 jars
of pickles*
*BP Internal Data

2013 BP Chemicals Ltd All rights reserved

Key uses of Acetic Acid

Vinyl Acetate Monomer (VAM)
Paint, adhesives in furniture or floor covering, manufacture
of clothes, shoe soles, juice cartons and cheese packaging,
manufacture of safety glass for car windscreens
Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA)
Plastic containers for beverages, food and electronics,
apparel, home textiles, carpets and industrial fibre products,
audio and video recording tapes, photographic films and
labels
Acetate Esters (Ethyl Acetate, Butyl Acetate)
Solvent in printing inks, laminating adhesive in flexible
packaging and plastic films. Also used as solvent in paint,
varnishes, resin coatings and nail polish remover
Acetic Anhydride

More than 75% made into cellulose acetate found in filter

tow, textiles, photographic and x-ray films
Also used in pharmaceuticals such as aspirin and
paracetamol
2013 BP Chemicals Ltd All rights reserved

Acetic Acid Technology Evolution

Cash cost = variable + fixed

Capital-related costs=depreciation + return on investment

120

Production cost [indexed to ethylene process total cost = 100]

CATIVA gives advantages across all

key project criteria:
Capital - simplification of flowsheet
results in lower project costs for new
build plants

Time

100

Feedstock
changes

80

Cash Cost / Reliability - less

equipment items to maintain mean
lower annual maintenance spends
and less downtime

Process
changes

60

40

Scale - potential to build at scale to

suit market demands improves
capital efficiency

Fully Built-up Cost - all of the above

have a positive impact on overall
project economics and long term
sustainable operations

20

Ethylene

Naphtha

Hydrocarbon oxidations

Rhodium

Rhodium / lithium

Variable Cost - patented catalyst

technology and subsequent reduced
energy requirements result in lower
operating costs

Iridium

Methanol carbonylation
Cost estimates are based on generic models
2013 BP Chemicals Ltd All rights reserved

Methanol Carbonylation:
A C1 route to Acetic Acid
CO must be generated locally
Natural Gas

Purify CO

Coal

Compress
CO

Pure
CO

Pet Coke
Naphtha
Light HCs

Syngas
(CO + H2)

Acetic Acid
(CH3COOH)

Heavy HCs
Biomass
.

Methanol

Distribution

Methanol
(CH3OH)

MeOH purchased as a globally traded commodity

2013 BP Chemicals Ltd All rights reserved

Relative Energy Cost

Feedstock Selection In India

For a methanol carbonylation

production, feedstock access
for competitive CO
production cost is key to the
Acetic Acid value chain

Feedstock Options
Main issues associated with accessing attractive CO economics are:
High energy costs. Investment in lower capital Nat Gas/Fuel Oil based
Syngas plants (eg SMR/POX) have higher variable costs
Investment in Coal/Petcoke based Syngas plants (Gasification) delivers
much lower energy / variable cost but carries a much higher capital
cost burden and is dependent on scale and integration opportunity
2013 BP Chemicals Ltd All rights reserved

BP Acetyls Global Experience

Hull, UK
Europe Commercial Office and
Production

Nanjing, China

AA and Anhydrides

Byaco: AA , 50%

Naperville/Cantera

Chongqing, China

Commercial Office USA

Yaraco: AA &

Ulsan, South Korea

SSBP: AA , 51%

Esters , 51%

Shanghai

Texas City

Head office

AA

Taiwan
FBPC: AA, 50%

Kuala Lumpur
Commercial office,
Rest of Asia

Kertih, Malaysia
BPPA: AA, 70%

Acetyls sites

Commercial/Sales offices
% BP share of JVs

2013 BP Chemicals Limited All rights reserved

CATIVA Process Flow Diagram

SCHEMATIC PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAM

Cativa

Vent Gases
To Flare

Off-gas Recovery Area

Lights
Reactor

Removal
Column

Heavy Ends Column

CO and
methanol

Acetic Acid
Product

(Mixed acid
For disposal)

2013 BP Chemicals Limited All rights reserved

Value Levers: Project Integration

Internal Infrastructure
Keys to Project Value

Petcoke
ASU

Build at scale

Gasification
Purification

Locate near market

AA

Locate close to
petcoke feedstock

Integrate common
infrastructure
Lever the
strengths of both
parties

External Infrastructure
2013 BP Chemicals Limited All rights reserved

Summary

Acetic Acid is a petrochemical building block for products associated

with a sophisticate growing modern economy
BP has developed world leading technology for the manufacture of
acetic acid.
Feedstock choice is critical
Integration opportunities help to lever value

Thank You

2013 BP Chemicals Limited All rights reserved