Lyondell Chemical Plans NOx Reduction Projects at Two Texas Chemical Sites

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Lyondell Chemical Company (NYSE: LYO) (Houston, Texas) plans to aggressively pursue NOx (Nitrogen Oxide) reduction projects at two of its Texas Gulf Coast petrochemical plants and has hired Halliburton KBR (Houston, Texas) to provide engineering for the planning and execution of these projects. Low NOx burners appear to be the technology chosen to achieve the goal of reducing NOx emissions to comply with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's (TCEQ) mandates.

Their plant located in Channelview operates two ethylene units OP1 and OP2, each with 16 cracking furnaces that will need to be retrofitted with new burners and other equipment modifications. There will also be at least three process steam boilers facing retrofits as well to be in compliance. The plant located in Alvin called the Chocolate Bayou plant, operates only one ethylene unit but nine furnaces, and they too will require modifications and the installation of new low NOx burners to significantly reduce emissions.

"Possibly hundreds of Texas chemical producers will be effected by TCEQ mandates requiring chemical companies to reduce NOx emissions by as much as 90% although many expect a ruling latter this year by TCEW only requiring 80%," commented Trey Hamblet, Chemical Group Manager with Industrialinfo.com. "Spending over the next 3-5 years in Texas for NOx compliance projects in the chemical industry is expected to cost producers several billion dollars. This is going to slow the progress of recovery and the ability to spend capital dollars on growth projects," Mr. Hamblet added.

Industrialinfo.com is tracking turnarounds for both of these plants and has recently updated the North American Industrial Database to reflect the most recent project schedules for the NOx reduction projects.