Press releases

Innovation in catalytic cracking. The AFTP Prize awarded to IFP

06 November 2006

As part of the Journées Annuelles du Pétrole, a venue for all French oil & gas industrial players, IFP was awarded the AFTP Prize (Association Française des Techniciens du Pétrole) for the development of its RS² (Riser Separation System) technology. This prize singles out, every year, the most significant innovations in the oil & gas sector.

RS² is a separator that limits the thermal degradation of effluents from the reaction zone of the catalytic cracking process. This technology makes it possible to increase cracking severity and process heavier charges, yielding large additional margins.

IFP developed the RS² technology in conjunction with its work on the R2R catalytic residue cracking process. Worldwide, 29 industrial units use this process, which was industrial lized jointly by several industrial partners. R2R catalytic cracking recovers the heavy fractions in crudes by converting them into the lighter molecules needed to produce gasolines, gas oils and petrochemical feedstocks. Response to this challenge is of crucial importance both in the context of growing demand for light products, such as motor fuels and propylene, and also as there are increasing quantities of heavier crudes available on the market.

This prize crowns IFP's R&D efforts in this field since the '90s. The innovations resulting from the application of its expertise in refining contribute to being able to meet changing demand for petroleum products.

IFP, a world-class public research and training body, aims to develop energies for the transport of the 21st century. It provides both public authorities and industrial players with innovative solutions for a controlled transition to the energies and materials of tomorrow – more effective, more economical, cleaner and sustainable.