Catofin catalyst delivers stable output at Ningxia Runfeng, China

Clariant, a sustainability-focused specialty chemical company, announced the continued excellent performance of its high-efficiency CATOFIN catalyst and heat-generating material (HGM) at Ningxia Runfeng New Material Technology Co., Ltd.’s propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit.

Located in the Ningdong Energy and Chemical Industry Base in Yinchuan, Ningxia, the PDH plant has a design capacity of 300,000 tons of propylene per year. The unit adopts CATOFIN technology and Clariant’s tailor-made catalyst system. Since its successful start-up in 2021, the plant has maintained stable and reliable operations. Thanks to the catalyst’s strong performance, the facility successfully restarted in August 2025 using CATOFIN catalysts once again and has since continued smooth and efficient operation with excellent performance across all key indicators.

“We are honored to once again provide Ningxia Runfeng with our innovative catalyst solutions,” said Jace Wang, Global Vice President of Propylene, Business Unit Catalysts, Clariant. “This outstanding achievement is not only a testament to the catalyst’s superior quality, but also to the close collaboration between our teams—particularly the exceptional professionalism of Ningxia Runfeng’s operations team.”

A spokesperson from Ningxia Runfeng commented: “Clariant’s CATOFIN catalyst fully meets our requirements for highly efficient and stable plant operations, helping us achieve superior process performance and stronger operational competitiveness. We look forward to achieving even greater results in the future.”

The CATOFIN technology combines Lummus Technology’s advanced PDH process with Clariant’s customized CATOFIN catalyst and heat-generating material (HGM) to convert liquefied petroleum gas into on-purpose olefins with unparalleled reliability. Proven to deliver higher productivity, the process offers producers significant improvements in return on investment and daily operating profits.

Since 2017, CATOFIN technology has been selected for 45 new projects worldwide, adding more than 30 million tons of propylene capacity, with over 60% of these plants located in China. As the first PDH project to start up in Northwest China, the Ningxia Runfeng plant marks a major milestone—bringing new industrial momentum to the country’s coal-chemical hub and serving as a model project for the region’s diversified petrochemical development.

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ALCHEMPro News Desk (HU)