Publication: Application of catalyst performance testing

Authors: Kai Dannenbauer, Ioan-Teodor Trotus, Robert Henkel, Florian Huber (hte)

Hydrocarbon Engineering, November 2020, pp. 27-30

Refineries have always aimed to maximise the value gained from a barrel of oil. In the current challenging global context – marked by an excess capacity in refining – and with oil demand expected to peak around 2030, refineries are now, more than ever, being forced to squeeze all the value they can out of their operations. A high degree of process integration, technical optimisation, and maximised uptime, as well as a high-value product portfolio, are key elements for a refinery’s future strategy. However, even the best economic strategy only succeeds if it is backed up by a constant pursuit of operational excellence. Technical know-how and an understanding of feedstock, catalyst, and processes, and how they interact are therefore required. The necessary competence level can only be maintained and further improved through constant awareness of the operation, identifying problems and future challenges, and responding rapidly and in a sustainable manner.