Over time, this will foster a more collaborative and adap- tive organisation. Planning teams get real-time insights into unit capability. APC and operations teams move from reactive to proactive margin capture. Economics teams can simulate or assess pricing signals (such as rising distillate cracks or octane premiums) and know how the unit can fea- sibly respond. Just as APC has become commonplace in all refiners, such tools that enable the technical and commercial workflow will become a baseline for the future. A Eric Rutan, Regional FCC Technical Excellence Director, Ketjen, eric.rutan@ketjen.com FCC-focused refiners operating in the middle of a four-year run must remain agile to adapt to shifting market dynam- ics, particularly fluctuations in product values and changes in feedstock quality. One of the most effective levers avail- able is modifying the fresh catalyst formulation to realign yield selectivities with new economic drivers or operational constraints. When product values shift, such as increased demand for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) olefins, or gasoline, refiners can adjust the base catalyst formulation to favour desired product slates. In addition, choosing to add or cease the addition of ZSM-5-based additives, which enhance propyl- ene and butylene yields by promoting cracking of gasoline- range olefins, increases refinery flexibility, as they can ‘turn them on’ when LPG prices are high or when downstream petrochemical integration is a priority. Conversely, when refiners process more challenging opportunity crudes or resid feeds, the catalyst must be tai- lored to handle higher levels of contaminants and coke pre- cursors. These feeds often lead to increased coke formation, which can limit unit throughput and efficiency. To mitigate this, refiners can shift towards catalyst formulations with improved coke selectivity, typically achieved by optimising matrix composition and rare earth content, as well as the inclusion of new technologies to improve diffusion within the catalyst to optimise hydrogen transfer and reduce dry gas and coke yields. A critical strategy in handling metal-laden feeds, particu- larly those high in nickel, is the incorporation of nickel traps into the catalyst. These traps immobilise nickel on the cata- lyst surface, preventing it from catalysing dehydrogenation reactions that lead to excessive hydrogen and coke produc - tion. By effectively capturing nickel, refiners can reduce or even eliminate the need for costly antimony injection, which is traditionally used to passivate nickel’s activity. This not only lowers operating costs but also simplifies logistics and environmental compliance. In addition to base catalyst adjustments, refiners can deploy a suite of additives to fine-tune performance. For bottoms upgrading, additives with high matrix activity and metals tolerance can help convert heavy cycle oil and slurry into more valuable products. This is particularly useful when maximising distillate or minimising slurry production is eco - nomically advantageous. Changes in environmental regulations or environmental performance due to other factors, like feed changes, may necessitate the use of specialty additives. DeSOx additives,
which typically contain magnesium or calcium compounds, react with sulphur oxides in the regenerator flue gas to form stable sulphates, thereby reducing SOx emissions. Combustion promoters, often based on platinum group met- als, enhance carbon monoxide oxidation in the regenerator, improving combustion efficiency and reducing CO emissions. Ultimately, the ability to adapt catalyst strategy mid-cycle allows FCC refiners to remain competitive and compliant without requiring major hardware changes. By leveraging catalyst technology, through formulation changes, metal traps, and performance additives, refiners can respond effec - tively to evolving market conditions, feedstock variability, and environmental mandates, ensuring optimal profitability and operational resilience throughout the run. A Berthold Otzisk, Senior Product Manager, Kurita Europe GmbH, berthold.otzisk@kurita-water.com Modernisation of existing FCC plants to improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and comply with stricter envi - ronmental regulations is being driven forward worldwide. In addition to long-term improvement targets, FCC plant operators are always required to look for suitable measures to realise these targets more quickly. This can be integration into petrochemical processes if the necessary infrastructure is already in place. It is then also possible to maximise the production of petrochemical products in order to meet the increasing demand for plastics and chemicals. The additional processing of alternative raw materials, such as biomass, and the reduction of CO 2 emissions are measures that can be adapted to changing market conditions. Diesel-oriented FCC units can significantly increase the production of LCO or diesel in the short term with relatively little effort. Higher yields can be achieved by lowering the FCC main fractionator top temperature by 5-10°C in order to achieve a shift in the cut points to produce more LCO. After a few days, however, an inevitable increase in differential pres- sure would be observed. The increase in pressure is mainly caused by precipitating highly corrosive ammonium salts and the resulting corrosion debris from corrosion attack. The Kurita DMax Technology is a chemical treatment pro - gramme where special organic hydroxides are dosed into the top reflux to the FCC main fractionator. DMax stands for diesel maximisation. Depending on the selection of organic DMax hydroxides, temperature stabilities of up to 250°C are possible. The hydroxides bind the chlorides or sulphides to form liquid, very low corrosive DMax salts and thus prevent precipitation, which would inevitably lead to an increase in pressure. The differential pressure is kept at a stable level, and the DMax salts formed leave the main fractionator col - umn together with the vapour to be removed with the accu- mulator sour water. Using this technology, higher LCO yields of >20% are possible, and energy costs can also be signifi - cantly reduced by lowering the top temperature. A Emerson Fry, Principal Technical Service Engineer, Johnson Matthey, emerson.fry@matthey.com Due to the innate flexibility of the FCC unit, several tools allow it to adapt to new market conditions. Changing the FCC unit heat balance can immediately impact overall conversion and,
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PTQ Q4 2025
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