17-08-2023

Lummus’ Novolen Technology Celebrates 100 Licensed Production Lines

Lummus Technology, a global provider of process technologies and value-driven energy solutions, announced the recent licensing of its 100th Novolen® polypropylene (PP) production line. This milestone highlights more than 60 years of innovation, technology leadership and Lummus’ growth in the polymers market.

“Achieving 100 production lines speaks volumes about our customers’ ongoing confidence in our Novolen PP technology, and their confidence is underscored by the rapid growth in awards and licensed capacity in recent years,” said Leon de Bruyn, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lummus Technology. “Novolen PP technology offers the lowest carbon intensity process on the market, the lowest CAPEX and OPEX, plus the flexibility and capacity to swiftly respond to global market demands. These benefits, plus many others, have placed Lummus at the forefront of the polypropylene industry.”

Among the 100 licensed lines, 50 are presently operating with the oldest line running for more than 45 years, and the cumulative licensed capacity of the 100 lines is greater than 24 MMTPA. Currently, 31 new lines are in various phases of engineering, construction or commissioning. The recent surge in demand for the technology has made Novolen the most licensed PP technology since 2020.

“After 60 years since Novolen’s inception, we are pleased to see that Lummus’ polymer technologies have unlocked the full market potential of the Novolen PP technology,” said Romain Lemoine, Chief Business Officer of Polymers and Petrochemicals, Lummus Technology. “Thank you to all of our licensees for their loyalty and for collaborating with us to consistently produce products that have improved the quality of life for so many people around the world.”

BASF first developed the Novolen PP technology in 1962, and Lummus acquired the technology in 2000. Today, Novolen is the industry’s leading polypropylene technology and can deliver a sustainable route for polymers production, while maximizing the financial benefits of operations through lower CAPEX and OPEX. The technology is highly flexible, robust, energy efficient and allows production of a full grade slate of leading PP products of all product families, including homopolymers, random copolymers, terpolymers, impact copolymers and rTPO’s.

Based on the success in polypropylene licensing, recently Lummus has expanded its polymer technology portfolio with EXCENE™ for bimodal high-density polyethylene through an exclusive global licensing partnership with Texplore Co Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of SCG Chemicals Public Co., Ltd.