Petrochemical industry decarbonization
RotoDynamic Technology electrifies the two biggest heat users in petrochemicals: the Coolbrook’s RotoDynamic Reactor™ (RDR) replaces the fired furnace in steam cracking, and the RotoDynamic Heater™ (RDH) replaces fossil-fuel preheating of feeds and process gases. RDH is available now; RDR is at pilot stage, with commercial launch targeted from 2029.
Electrifying petrochemical production
The petrochemical industry produces around 1.5 billion tonnes of CO₂ a year, about 3% of global emissions, much of it from burning fossil fuels in steam-cracking furnaces and process heaters. RDR and RDH replace that combustion with clean electricity. Together they can cut up to 500 Mt of CO₂ a year at full deployment – about 300 Mt with RDR in steam cracking and 200 Mt with RDH in process heating.
We develop electric steam cracking with Linde Engineering and with petrochemical producers including Shell, SABIC and Braskem.
Key benefits of RotoDynamic Technology
RotoDynamic Reactor (RDR)
- 10+% higher ethylene and propylene yield, from very fast heating and short residence time
- Less coking, for longer run lengths and fewer decoking stops
- No fuel-combustion CO₂, NOx or particulates at the cracker when powered by renewable electricity
- Smaller footprint than a conventional cracking furnace
RotoDynamic Heater (RDH)
- Electric preheating of feeds and process gases, with accurate temperature control
- Available today in multi-megawatt scale with a path to scale to 50+ MW
Both
- 90–95% of the electricity becomes process heat
- Medium-voltage system that can be installed at practically any site; compact and retrofittable
- Lower carbon and fuel costs, with the option to use low-priced renewable power
Core use cases for decarbonizing petrochemical processes
Available now
Feed and process-gas preheating (RDH)
RDH preheats feeds and process gases – nitrogen, CO₂, air or methane – with electricity instead of fired heaters.
Temperature: up to about 900 °C today. Higher temperatures (1,300–1,500 °C) with the next-generation RDH.
Benefits: Fossil-free preheating with accurate temperature control, higher energy efficiency and lower carbon costs.
Available from 2029
Electric steam cracking (RDR)
RDR replaces the conventional cracking furnace: heat is generated directly in the hydrocarbon feed, so heating is faster and residence time shorter.
Cracking feed capacity: 10-50+ t/h
Temperature: Up to 950 °C
Benefits: 10+% higher ethylene and propylene yield, less coking, no fuel-combustion CO₂ with renewable power, and a smaller footprint. Demonstrated at our pilot with hexane, naphtha and plastic-waste pyrolysis oil.
Roadmap
Roadmap to decarbonize petrochemical industry
2021–25
Pilot
RDR cracked hexane, naphtha and plastic-waste pyrolysis oil at the Brightlands pilot
Higher yields demonstrated
2026–28
RDH available, first RDR in development
RDH available for petrochemical preheating
Core technology of the first commercial RDR developed
2029 onwards
Commercial RDR
Commercial launch and first deliveries of RDR
Compatibility with recycled and bio-based feedstocks
Contact us
Customers and partners
Hear from Coolbrook petrochemical customers and partners
RDR has the potential to really become the new industry standard in olefins production.
Budimir Rosic
Professor, University of Oxford
Ph.D. (Aerospace Engineering)
