Larsen & Toubro's Heavy Engineering division has successfully dispatched two massive Ethylene Oxide (EO) reactors for a project by BASF, a renowned chemical giant in China.

Each reactor, weighing 1,136 MT, is the world's heaviest based on BASF's technology. They were manufactured using hi-tech engineering, Industry 4.0 manufacturing technology, and world-class quality processes.

These reactors are crucial for a petrochemical project at the Verbund site in Zhanjiang, contributing to the growth of China's chemical market. They were shipped from L&T’s A M Naik Heavy Engineering Complex in Hazira, Gujarat.

Anil V Parab, Senior Executive Vice President of L&T Heavy Engineering & L&T Valves, expressed gratitude to BASF for entrusting L&T with supplying critical reactors for their prestigious project.

Ethylene oxide serves as a vital ethylene-based intermediary compound, primarily used in manufacturing derivatives such as ethylene glycol, surfactants, and ethanolamines.

The EO Reactor plays a crucial role in petrochemical plants, facilitating the catalytic conversion of ethylene into ethylene oxide, essential for producing various downstream chemicals.

BASF is constructing a new Verbund site in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, representing its largest investment to date, approximately €10 billion upon completion.

Apart from Ludwigshafen, Germany, BASF operates Verbund sites in Antwerp, Belgium; Freeport, Texas; Geismar, Louisiana; Kuantan, Malaysia and Nanjing, China.

The Zhanjiang site, to be solely operated by BASF, will rank as the company's third-largest globally, following Ludwigshafen and Antwerp.

The concept of Verbund involves seamlessly integrating production, market platforms, and technologies to unify various aspects of the business. The new smart Verbund site in Zhanjiang will feature a steam cracker with a capacity of 1 million metric tons of ethylene per year and downstream plants for consumer-oriented products.

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