Turkey’s oil refiner Tüpras is using Honeywell UOP’s technology to boost diesel fuel production at its facility in Izmit.

Honeywell’s Unicracking, two-stage processing unit will enable the oil refiner to produce 75,000 barrels per day middle distillate products, including Jet A-1 aviation fuel and Euro V diesel fuel.

The technology has the capacity to increase diesel production by up to 7% and will help Tüpras meet domestic demand for the transportation fuel.

Honeywell Turkey and Central Asia president Orhan Genis said: “Honeywell has provided refining technology and process automation to Tüpras refineries for several decades, helping to build Turkey’s domestic oil industry.

"Honeywell has provided refining technology and process automation to Tüpras refineries for several decades, helping to build Turkey’s domestic oil industry."

“This project is another significant milestone in this strategic relationship between our companies.”

Tüpras’ Izmit facility produces 40% of Turkey’s domestic supply of petroleum products and also employs automation and control technology from Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS).

As part of a five-year contract, HPS is upgrading controls at two other Tüpras refineries in a bid to improve operations and reduce maintenance costs.

Honeywell UOP process technology and equipment vice-president and general manager Mike Millard said: “Turkey currently imports diesel, and diesel consumption is growing by 2½% per year.

“This technology is proven to enable refiners such as Tüpras to improve fuel production while reducing energy and hydrogen consumption and other costs compared with competing technologies.”

Honeywell’s Unicracking technology was introduced in 1964 and is available in multiple flow schemes, including single- and two-stage processes and has been designed to produce higher yields of transportation fuels.

Tüpras operates four oil refineries with a total of 28.1 million tonnes of crude oil processing capacity per year.