Honeywell announced today that the LanazCompanywill use UOP modular naphtha hydrotreating and fixed-bed Platforming process units to upgrade its refinery in Iraq so it can produce more cleaner-burning transportation fuels. The project marks the first use of UOP modular technology in the country and will help Lanaz comply with increasingly strict specifications for fuel products.

UOP has supplied licensing and basic engineering design services as well as full modular units to Lanaz, based in Erbil in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

As refiners in developing economies seek to upgrade their facilities to produce high-quality gasoline, many are seeking modular solutions to maintain costs and mitigate risk with pre-fabrication and assembly completed in a safe and controlled environment off-site. In addition, modular technology provides a faster pathway to operations with facilities coming online less time.

“Depending upon capacity and location, UOP’s modular technologies can reduce construction and installation costs more than 20 percent compared with systems constructed on site,” said Laura Leonard, vice president and general manager, UOP Process Technologies. “By upgrading with this technology, Lanaz can start operations between a year and 18 months faster than the traditional field-fabricated model, and quickly produce high-quality gasoline to meet growing demand.”

The LanazRefinery is a fully equipped, high capacity refinery built in 2008 in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and processes about 100,000 bpd of crude oil.

Honeywell UOP (www.uop.com) is a leading international supplier and licensor of process technology, catalysts, adsorbents, equipment, and consulting services to the petroleum refining, petrochemical, and gas processing industries. Honeywell UOP is part of Honeywell’s Performance Materials and Technologies strategic business group, which also includes Honeywell Process Solutions (www.honeywellprocess.com), a pioneer in automation control, instrumentation and services for the oil and gas, refining, petrochemical, chemical and other industries.