PTQ Q4 2025 Issue

environment due to the use of chemicals and the production of waste streams. The naturally occurring bacteria convert dissolved sulphide into elemental sulphur, which can be reused as a fertiliser feedstock. This not only slashes operat- ing costs but also supports circularity and minimises envi- ronmental impact. No toxic chemicals, no hazardous waste This year marks exciting new deployments, as two new TOG installations have been started up. One of these is for a gas project for an major oil and gas producer in Oman, which has successfully passed its performance test. It represents a significant milestone as it is the first installation of its kind in both Oman and in the broader Middle East region. The project comprises a fully integrated gas processing facility, including a sweetening unit (TOG), as well as compression, dehydration, dew pointing, and stabilisation units, along with several utility systems. Meanwhile, in the US, the start-up for another unit for an oil major is underway. This system treats multiple high and low-pressure gas streams from a biodiesel production facil- ity. One of them is a sour water stripper off-gas stream con- taining high concentrations of ammonia. While the ammonia is removed upstream in a feed gas pre-conditioning system containing an ammonia stripper, the H 2 S is removed in the TOG. Looking ahead: the Ultra evolution – just clean, efficient desulphurisation. 2025: a year of new milestones To push boundaries even further, Paqell has developed Thiopaq O&G Ultra, a next-generation biological SRU designed to reduce both Opex and environmental footprint. Like the original, the Ultra process is a biotechnological, driven by the conversion of dissolved sulphide into elemen- tal sulphur. Three full-scale Ultra units are currently under construction at locations in Europe and the Middle East, with the first start-up planned for Q4 2025. The future is biological As more companies seek sustainable ways to meet tighten- ing emission standards, biological sulphur recovery is gain- ing traction in its effort to reduce harmful emissions. Thiopaq O&G is helping operators cut costs, reduce emissions, and enhance their environmental credentials, all while delivering reliable performance. Paqell Joost Timmerman, Rieks de Rink, and Jan Henk van Dijk Email: joost.timmerman@paqell.com

chemical processes. Avantium has partnered for more than 12 years with a major catalyst supplier to provide HTCT services for EO catalyst development. This includes support of catalyst development efforts to identify more selective and environmentally friendly catalysts, while maintaining high data quality and consistent long-term performance evaluation. Advancing EO catalyst development EO continues to be a high-volume chemical with strong global demand. In 2023, the Asia Pacific region led the global EO market with a 50.5% revenue share, driven by China’s automotive sector. The automotive product segment held 28.9%, while ethylene glycol was the top application by market share. The global EO market was estimated at 28.0 million tonnes in 2024, with a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 4.6%, reaching nearly 45.9 million tonnes by 2035 ( ChemAnalyst, 2024 & Grand View Research, 2024 ). In financial terms, the EO market was valued at $36.1 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach $49.1 billion by 2030 (see Figure 1 ). Considering the scale and projected growth, small enhancements in catalyst performance may lead to notable economic and environmental outcomes. Enhancing the effi - ciency and selectivity of EO catalysts is critical, as it allows for better suppression of side reactions, thus improving process yields and sustainability ( Kursawe, 2009 ). Current research is increasingly focused on greener and more energy-efficient production methods, such as electrochemical EO production powered by renewable electricity, which may offer higher energy efficiency compared to conventional catalytic routes ( Gabardo, 2024 ). Accelerating EO catalyst development Catalyst optimisation and development for chemical and fuel production involves analysing many variables across thousands or millions of possible combinations. Flowrence high-throughput catalyst testing can operate up to 64 paral - lel reactors, which significantly increases testing efficiency and reduces time-to-market for new catalyst formulations ( Ortega, 2019 ). Researchers can generate thousands of data points in a fraction of the time required by conventional sin- gle-reactor systems ( Ramirez, 2024 & Maxwell, 2003 ). The technology is dedicated to oxidation chemistry and offers operational flexibility for EO catalyst screening and deactiva - tion studies. It enables precise control of reaction conditions and ensures high data reproducibility. For instance, carefully regulating the temperature of each reactor regarding its selectivity towards EO provides significant flexibility during deactivation studies. In addition to EO catalysts screening and deactivation, this unit is designed to operate a broad spectrum of selective oxidation chemistries. This HTCT unit can be used for other oxidation reactions, such as propylene oxidation, a valuable intermediate for polyurethanes and other polymers, and butadiene oxidation, pivotal in manufacturing chemicals like maleic anhydride used in resins and plastics. This operational flexibility accelerates the screening and optimisation of catalysts for a variety of feedstocks to

Accelerating ethylene oxide catalyst innovation through high-throughput testing

High-throughput catalyst testing (HTCT) continues to play a central role in the development of ethylene oxide (EO) cata- lysts. Despite improvements in EO production, opportunities remain to enhance catalyst performance by reducing side reactions and supporting the transition to more sustainable

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PTQ Q4 2025