L&T delivers world’s heaviest ethylene oxide reactor to China
The Heavy Engineering vertical of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has dispatched two mammoth ethylene oxide (EO) reactors for a project of the chemical giant BASF in China. The reactors were dispatched from L&T’s A M Naik Heavy Engineering Complex at Hazira in Gujarat.
Weighing 1,136 metric t each, these are the world’s heaviest EO reactors based on BASF’s technology. The reactors have been manufactured by deploying hi-tech engineering, Industry 4.0 manufacturing technology and world-class quality processes.
EO reactor is a crucial component in petrochemical plants. It facilitates the catalytic conversion of ethylene into ethylene oxide, which is a key intermediate in the production of various downstream chemicals.
Commenting on this, Anil V. Parab, Whole-time Director and Senior Executive Vice President – L&T Heavy Engineering & L&T Valves, said: “I thank BASF for giving L&T the opportunity to supply the most critical reactors for its prestigious project. Dispatching the reactors is indeed a matter of great pride for us. We, at L&T, are always committed to delivering reliable performance and unique customer experience to all our clients. We continue our benchmarked delivery performance despite global supply chain uncertainties.”
Joachim Thiel, Senior Vice President and Senior Project Management New Verbund, BASF China, said: “This equipment, weighing 1,136 metric t each, are the biggest EO reactors ever built in almost 160 years of BASF history. These are critical supplies to the petrochemical project at Verbund in Zhanjiang to support the growth of the chemical market in China. Considering the complexity of this equipment, I want to express my deepest appreciation to all the dedicated colleagues from L&T and BASF who have contributed to this project. I am convinced that BASF made the absolute right decision to award these EO Reactors to L&T. This is definitely going to be a lighthouse for future collaborations between our companies.”
Dr. Joachim Queisser, Senior Vice President, Global Technology, Safety & Quality, Petrochemicals, BASF, said: “The flag-off marks another important step in the continued strong collaboration between BASF and L&T. The L&T team has once again demonstrated remarkable capability, craftsmanship and competence in manufacturing these multi-tube reactors. I am very impressed by the work done at L&T. The ‘one team’ mindset demonstrated by L&T has been a cornerstone in the successful execution of this project. L&T has been and will continue to be a valuable partner in our journey to further develop our global footprint.”
L&T managing to secure such a significant project, especially in the face of China's prowess in high-end manufacturing, is indeed a moment of pride for all Indians and is a shining example of “Make in India” for the world.
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