0T KRW
Total investmentLARGEST IN COMPANY HISTORY
GS CALTEX BUSINESS — CHAPTER 03
900,000 tons of ethylene a year from MFC, the largest investment in company history —
the third chapter: cracking molecules open.
GS Caltex produces basic petrochemical products like ethylene and propylene through MFC (Mixed Feed Cracker), which can use a wide range of feedstocks — not just naphtha, but also LPG and refinery off-gas. By flexibly drawing on diverse feedstocks, we strengthen feedstock competitiveness and build synergy between refining and petrochemicals.
ORIGIN
The name olefin comes from the observation that ethylene reacts with chlorine to form an oily liquid.
Today, olefin refers to a hydrocarbon with a carbon-carbon double bond (C=C), with ethylene and propylene as its leading examples. Their high reactivity makes them a foundational feedstock for a wide range of chemical products and plastic materials.
01 — MIXED FEED
MFC can use liquid naphtha along with LPG and refinery off-gas as feedstock. This gives us more flexibility in feedstock selection and, through its link to the refining process, greater feedstock competitiveness.
01 — CRACKING
Hydrocarbons such as naphtha and LPG are thermally cracked at high temperature into smaller molecules. Quenching, compression and separation follow, yielding ethylene, propylene and other basic petrochemical products.
01 — OLEFINS
Ethylene and propylene are the leading olefins, each carrying a carbon double bond (C=C). Their high reactivity makes them the foundational feedstock for polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and many other petrochemical products.
ETHYLENE 900K TONS / YR02 — OUTPUT
The leading olefin, with two carbons joined by a double bond — a colorless gas at room temperature and pressure. It is a foundational feedstock for polyethylene (PE) and many other petrochemical products, including polystyrene (PS), PVC and EVA.
A three-carbon olefin used, together with ethylene, as a foundational feedstock for a wide range of petrochemical products — polypropylene (PP), compound resin, propylene oxide (PO) and acrylonitrile (AN).
A cut of various four-carbon hydrocarbons produced during the thermal cracking of naphtha and LPG. Used mainly as feedstock for butadiene, it leads on to synthetic rubber, ABS, nylon and other materials.
A cut produced during the thermal cracking of naphtha and other feedstocks, rich in aromatic components — benzene, toluene and xylene. After further processing, it feeds into aromatics production and more.
03 — FEED
04 — MFC · COMPETITIVENESS
GS Caltex strengthened its olefins business by completing MFC at the Yeosu complex in November 2022. MFC can draw on LPG and refinery off-gas alongside naphtha, giving it a wide range of feedstock choices. Its link to the existing refining process is a core strength, raising both feedstock supply and production efficiency.
Total investmentLARGEST IN COMPANY HISTORY
MFC completedYEOSU
Less energy usedVS. CONVENTIONAL, APPROX.
CO₂ reduced per yearVS. CONVENTIONAL
Ethylene and propylene made at MFC go through polymerization and other processes to become polyethylene and polypropylene and other polymers. The next chapter follows olefins into the polymer business, which leads on to automotive parts, appliances, packaging and countless other everyday and industrial materials.