Ethylene is the most produced petrochemical with about 140 million tonnes
annual production and nearly 300 million tonnes annual carbon dioxide
emission. In recent years, record price of crude oil – the origin of more than 50%
ethylene worldwide – has put naphtha-based producers in a very tough position,
especially the ones in region with strict emission regulation such as Europe.
Meanwhile 150 billion cubic meters of methane are flared or vented every year
due to transport and store difficulty, emitting about 400 million tonnes of carbon
dioxide. In this situation, oxidative coupling of methane (OCM), the reaction
directly converts methane into ethylene, seems to be a sustainable solution for
both short-term oil price and long-term environment preservation