ADNOC Refining, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), has initiated sending the first-ever exporting shipment of the UAE-produced calcined coke to mainland China.

23Apr - ADNOC

Image: The first-ever shipment of UAE-produced calcined coke has begun its maiden voyage to mainland China. Photo: Courtesy of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.

ADNOC Refining said that it has loaded 10,500tons of calcined coke onto the M/V Lucky Ocho, a vessel chartered by ADNOC Logistics & Services, which is expected to be delivered in Yantai, China by the end of April 2019.

ADNOC claims that the first shipment of this high-value product is part of its efforts to reduce production of high-sulfur fuel oil and move towards being a ‘zero-fuel oil’ refining business.

The compamy has made zero-fuel oil refining a high priority when the IMO 2020 Regulation was proposed. The regulation was aimed at reducing the sulfur content contained in marine fuels from 3.5% to 0.5% in an effort to limit the potential environmental impact of global shipping fleets.

In September 2018, the company commissioned its multi-billion-dollar Carbon Black and Delayed Coker Unit to produce the calcined coke for the first time in UAE, which is currently being shipped to China.

ADNOC Refining CEO Jasem Al Sayegh said: “This milestone represents a significant step towards being a refining business capable of producing ‘zero-fuel oil’. ADNOC will continue to invest in an effort to broaden our product offering amidst evolving market conditions, ensuring we reduce our environmental footprint and maintain IMO-compliance leading up to 2020 and beyond.”

ADNOC aims to increasing the flexibility of its refining assets to produce additional feedstocks and additives for the petrochemical industry, as part of its downstream expansion strategy.

ADNOC said that its multi-billion-dirham downstream investment program is expected to improve refining capacity by more than 65%, or 600,000 barrels per day (bpd), by 2025, through the addition of a third refinery, creating a total capacity of 1.5million barrels per day (mbpd).

In addition, the new refinery would increase the capability, flexibility and output of Abu Dhabi’s refining operations by adding to the range of crudes that can be processed.