New Trends in Olefin Production

TLDR

Olefins such as ethylene and propylene will largely continue to be produced by steam cracking, while the chemical industry is reluctant to invest in alternative technologies despite the growing availability of cheap shale gas feedstocks and the anticipated decline in crude oil demand, prompting a shift toward on‑purpose production of light olefins from ethane and propane. This perspective compares the most promising alternative olefin production routes with conventional steam cracking and highlights the major bottlenecks of each competing process.

Abstract

Most olefins (e.g., ethylene and propylene) will continue to be produced through steam cracking (SC) of hydrocarbons in the coming decade. In an uncertain commodity market, the chemical industry is investing very little in alternative technologies and feedstocks because of their current lack of economic viability, despite decreasing crude oil reserves and the recognition of global warming. In this perspective, some of the most promising alternatives are compared with the conventional SC process, and the major bottlenecks of each of the competing processes are highlighted. These technologies emerge especially from the abundance of cheap propane, ethane, and methane from shale gas and stranded gas. From an economic point of view, methane is an interesting starting material, if chemicals can be produced from it. The huge availability of crude oil and the expected substantial decline in the demand for fuels imply that the future for proven technologies such as Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) or methanol to gasoline is not bright. The abundance of cheap ethane and the large availability of crude oil, on the other hand, have caused the SC industry to shift to these two extremes, making room for the on-purpose production of light olefins, such as by the catalytic dehydrogenation of propane.