SELEX-Asp Decarbonization Technology to be used for Needle Coke Production

Calgary, AB, March 15, 2021 – Well Resources announced that Hongfu New Materials Co., Ltd. is proceeding with a project to utilize the Selective Extraction of Asphaltenes (SELEX-Asp) technology for needle coke production at its Karamay City facility in western China. The greenfield facility will produce up to 50,000 metric tonnes per year (tpy) of high-value needle coke from low-quality fluid catalytic cracking slurry oil.  

 

Hongfu New Materials Co., Ltd. made its final investment decision in October 2020 and construction for the project commenced in March 2021. The facility will include a 200,000 tpy SELEX-Asp unit, a 150,000 tpy coking unit, a 150,000 tpy aromatic oil hydrotreating unit, and a 60,000 tpy coke calcination unit. The total construction value for the project is valued at 1.58 billion RMB, and mechanical completion is expected in 2023.

 

Needle coke is a specialized form of petroleum coke, commonly used for the production of synthetic graphite electrodes used in steel and aluminum manufacturing. Premium grade needle coke is being increasingly used as a raw material for lithium battery anodes. Due to a global increase in green initiatives and a sharp rise in demand for lithium batteries, needle coke has been in short supply.

 

“We are extremely happy that SELEX-Asp is Hongfu’s technology of choice for adding value to their operations while contributing to China’s green economy,” said Keng Chung, Vice President of Technology of Well Resources. “The robustness of SELEX-Asp has been demonstrated through its use as a resid processing solution and also for processing alternative feeds such as FCC slurry oils.”

 

“We will make full use of the abundant oil slurry raw materials in Xinjiang and Central Asia and become a leader in the green needle coke industry,” said Huang Fushui, Chairman of Hungfu Group, the parent company of Hongfu New Materials Co., Ltd.

 

SELEX-Asp is a commercial decarbonization technology that operates under the principles of supercritical fluid extraction and fractionation. SELEX-Asp is most commonly applied for the clean and targeted removal of asphaltenes from petroleum resid and has more recently been used for new applications such as needle coke production.  Well Resources is the global licensor for SELEX-Asp.

 

Interested to learn more? Contact us at info@wellresources.ca.