German specialty chemicals company BASF Aktiengesellschaft and The Dow Chemical Company have launched a long-term venture to produce propylene oxide (PO) at what is said to be the world’s first commercial-scale hydrogen peroxide propylene oxide (HPPO) plant at BASF’s site in Antwerp, Belgium. The plant uses a new technology developed jointly by BASF and Dow. PO is a core ingredient for the $21 billion a year polyurethane industry. Solvay S.A. (Solvay) will be a key supplier to the new facility.

The new process technology is said to offer a number of benefits over conventional routes to PO, including better economics, environmental improvements and flexibility for locating new plants.

The HPPO plant will be fed with hydrogen peroxide (HP) from a second new plant at the Antwerp site. The HP plant will have a capacity of 230,000 metric tons per year and will be constructed by Solvay, BASF and Dow. The 300,000 metric tons per year HPPO plant, which is being built jointly by BASF and Dow, is scheduled to start up in early 2008.
The new PO plants built using the HPPO technology are said to be more economical because they require up to 25% less capital to build; they avoid the need for additional infrastructure or markets for co-products, as the process produces only PO and water; and they require simpler raw material integration-just hydrogen peroxide and propylene are needed as raw materials.

From an environmental standpoint the plant is said to reduce wastewater by 70% to 80% compared with existing PO technology; they reduce energy usage by 35%; and reduce the infrastructure and physical footprint with simpler raw material integration and avoidance of co-products.