Clariant, the sustainability-focused specialty chemical company, has announced that its high-efficiency CATOFIN catalyst and heat-generating material (HGM) continue to deliver outstanding results at Ningxia Runfeng New Material Technology Co's propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit.
The Ningxia Runfeng facility, the first PDH project in Northwest China, represents a significant milestone—injecting new momentum into the region’s coal-chemical industry and serving as a model for diversified petrochemical development.
The PDH plant, located in the Ningdong Energy and Chemical Industry Base in Yinchuan, Ningxia, has a design capacity of 300,000 tons of propylene per year. Equipped with CATOFIN technology and Clariant’s tailor-made catalyst system, the facility has maintained stable and reliable operations since its start-up in 2021. Following a successful restart in August 2025, the plant has continued to operate smoothly, with excellent performance across all key metrics.
“We are honored to once again provide Ningxia Runfeng with our innovative catalyst solutions,” said Jace Wang, Global Vice President of Propylene, Business Unit Catalysts, Clariant. “This outstanding achievement is not only a testament to the catalyst’s superior quality, but also to the close collaboration between our teams—particularly the exceptional professionalism of Ningxia Runfeng’s operations team.”
A spokesperson for Ningxia Runfeng added: “Clariant’s CATOFIN catalyst fully meets our requirements for highly efficient and stable plant operations, helping us achieve superior process performance and stronger operational competitiveness. We look forward to achieving even greater results in the future.”
The CATOFIN technology, combining Lummus Technology’s advanced PDH process with Clariant’s customized catalyst and HGM, converts liquefied petroleum gas into on-purpose olefins with exceptional reliability. The technology is proven to boost productivity, enhance daily operating profits, and improve return on investment.
Since 2017, CATOFIN has been selected for 45 new projects worldwide, adding more than 30 million tons of propylene capacity, with over 60% of these plants in China.
