An important conversion process in refineries, known as fluid catalytic cracking (FCC), is soon to be carried out by the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) in cooperation with the Research Institute of Petroleum Industry, the director of research and technology at the NIORDC said, Shana reported Saturday.
Alireza Abhaji said, "The process will allow us to produce a type of diesel fuel, which is lighter than mazut and heavier than conventional diesel."
The project will be carried out in two phases. The first, which is a pilot phase, is expected to commence in a month and last for nine months, and the first and second phases of the project are estimated to cost $26-30 million and $187-225 million respectively.
FCC technology is used to convert heavy distillates into lighter distillates, such as gasoline and diesel. It is one of the most important conversion processes used in petroleum refineries because it turns heavy, cheaper petrochemicals into higher-value products.
The first FCC unit in Iran was established in 1951 in Abadan Refinery, Iran's major oil refinery in the south. NIORDC aims to construct such units to increase gasoline production capacity. According to reports, daily gasoline consumption in Iran is close to 68 million liters.
