Honeywell UOP opens new catalyst production line in Shreveport, US

Honeywell UOP has opened a new production line at its catalyst manufacturing facility in Shreveport, Louisiana, US.

With its $150m investment, Honeywell will be able to produce various catalysts for the oil refining industry at the facility.

The new line will manufacture catalysts for hydroprocessing, a process that removes impurities from fractionated crude oil and also makes transportation fuels.

Honeywell UOP catalysts, adsorbents and specialties business vice president and general manager Ken Stacherski said: "This is Honeywell UOP’s fourth production line at Shreveport, giving us new capacity to meet increased demand in the industry for hydroprocessing catalysts.

"With this and other investments we’ve made in the last two years, our Shreveport plant becomes one of the most modern catalyst manufacturing facilities in the world."

The company started construction of the new production line late in 2014.

Most of the production from the Shreveport plant will be exported to other countries.

The Shreveport plant was established by Honeywell in 1950 to manufacture its own catalysts, which can be used in the company’s Oleflex, isomerisation and hydroprocessing processes, and also for processing naphtha.

Catalysts are used in refineries and petrochemical plants and as part of processes to make a wide range of transportation fuels and petrochemicals.

Honeywell also manufactures catalyst and adsorbent products in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Mobile, Alabama; McCook, Illinois; Reggio de Calabria, Italy; Shanghai and Zhangjiagang, China; and through its Nikki-Universal and Union Showa K.K. joint ventures in Hiratsuka and Yakkaichi, Japan, respectively.