Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL; Mumbai) has selected Univation‘s UNIPOL PE Process Technology for a world-scale production line to be located at IOCL’s Paradip Petrochemical Complex site in Paradip, India. The unit is designed to achieve a nameplate production capacity of 650,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) of polyethylene (PE).
IOCL’s full-density (“swing”) PE manufacturing line will enable production of both linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) products thus enabling IOCL to cover a significant breadth of key growth applications essential for the Indian PE market. With the aim of satisfying demand in both the unimodal and bimodal PE market segments, IOCL has elected to access Univation’s conventional UCAT J Unimodal HDPE/LLDPE Technology, advanced PRODIGY Bimodal HDPE Technology, and advanced ACCLAIM Unimodal HDPE Technology. The combination of these technology platforms allows IOCL to meet the stringent end-use performance standards required for critical PE applications including flexible packaging, rigid packaging, high-pressure pipes, and a broad range of durable applications.
Indian metallocene PE demand represents a significant high-growth opportunity within the Indian PE market, and IOCL will utilize Univation’s XCAT Metallocene Catalysts to produce advantaged metallocene polyethylene grades. IOCL will target key high-end market segments such as robust shipping packaging applications, high-performance films engineered to boost food preservation properties, and metallocene films designed for sustainable agricultural purposes.
With IOCL’s strong focus on achieving top-tier operating performance in mind, Univation’s PREMIER APC+ 3.0 Advanced Process Control Platform will provide IOCL with superior process control capabilities. The PREMIER APC+ 3.0 Platform is specifically engineered for the UNIPOL PE Process to enhance operating performance, optimized raw material yields, and deliver consistent and efficient product grade transitions across Univation’s entire PE resin grade portfolio.
Nathan Wiker, president of Univation Technologies, commented, “The cornerstone of any successful project depends on building deep collaborative relationships based on mutual trust and both parties striving for common objectives. IOCL has given us the great honor of selecting Univation Technologies as its polyethylene technology licensor for this new production line, and we are fully committed to supporting IOCL in our shared goal of successfully designing, commissioning and safely starting-up this new world-scale PE manufacturing asset.” Nathan continued, “We are confident that the versatility and broad full-density product flexibility of the UNIPOL™ PE Process will deliver IOCL the necessary capabilities to satisfy today’s and future Indian market requirements to meet emerging customer needs.”