A technological upgrade that concerns the global petrochemical competition is brewing on Longshan Island in the province of Ba Dinh Vung Tau in Vietnam. Technip Energies has officially announced that it has been awarded the LSEE project contract by Long Son Petrochemicals Co., Ltd. This is not only a continuation of the cooperation between the two parties, but also a rare global project for converting naphtha cracking furnaces to ethane, marking a crucial step for Asian petrochemical assets in responding to market fluctuations and carbon neutrality challenges.

Heart transplantation in a cracking furnace

According to the agreement, Technip Energies will provide engineering procurement and on-site services, and equip the cracking furnace with proprietary burners. The core transformation lies in utilizing its USC ® Design of Ultra Short Stay Time Furnace and HRS ® A high recovery steam system that converts existing plant raw materials from naphtha to ethane on a large scale. In petrochemical processes, ethane cracking has significant advantages over naphtha, with an ethylene yield that can be increased to over 80%. Additionally, due to the lower hydrogen to carbon ratio, carbon emission intensity is significantly reduced. This upgrade aims to improve energy efficiency, optimize ethylene recovery rates, and give the factory stronger cost resilience in the face of global raw material price fluctuations.

Diversified raw materials that go against the trend

Industry data shows that the launch of the LSEE project is highly strategic, given the current global concerns about excess ethylene production capacity and the high cost of low-cost ethane in the Middle East and North America. The conversion of existing naphtha based equipment to ethane based is extremely difficult, involving a comprehensive reconstruction of the burner, convection section, and rapid cooling system.

As one of the few such projects in the world recently, it deeply reflects the industry's shift towards diversified raw materials and low-carbon solutions. The steam cracking unit is the heart of the petrochemical complex, and the ethylene and propylene produced are the basic raw materials for plastics, packaging, and textiles. By enhancing the flexibility of raw materials, LSP can dynamically adjust feeding based on the price difference between naphtha and ethane, while locking in profits and serving the rapidly growing manufacturing demand in Southeast Asia. Keywords: Southeast Asian news, energy, steam cracking unit

The acquisition of this contract is based on long-term mutual trust. From 2018 to 2023, Technip Energies successfully delivered the cracking unit of the complex. The performance of this LSEE project has been included in its first quarter report for 2026. With the technological support of Technip Energies, the petrochemical giant ship on Longshan Island is seizing a new high ground in green and efficient competition through raw material exchange.Editor/Cheng Liting