TPC eyes C4 processing capacity expansion with debottlenecking project

Houston, Texas – TPC Group is advancing a series of debottlenecking and optimisation projects aimed at expanding the capacity, flexibility and reliability of its crude C4 processing platform, the company has announced.

In 2026, TPC plans to focus on near-term projects within its existing assets to “unlock incremental capacity gains,” said a recent undated release by the company.

The initiatives are expected to improve operating flexibility, throughput and feedstock optionality.

TPC said it will complete debottlenecking of its hydrotreating units this year, which is expected to increase hydrotreating capacity by 19%.

The move will increase downstream throughput, while maintaining “product quality, system balance and operational reliability.”

Additional improvements to TPC’s crude C4 butadiene extraction system “are expected to deliver a 12% increase in [butadiene production] capacity by the end of 2029,” TPC said.

Together, the initiatives are expected to deliver a cumulative 14% increase in crude C4 processing capacity by the end of 2029.

This will strengthen TPC’s ability to process a broader range of feedstocks and products while responding to changing market requirements, the US supplier said.

TPC is also progressing engineering for a subsequent expansion that would double hydrotreating capacity, delivering “a step change in flexibility” and strengthening long-term value across the C4 supply chain.

“Enhancing the scale and flexibility of our Crude C4 processing platform through near-term debottlenecking is a clear priority for TPC,” said Adrian Jacobsen, SVP Commercial.

“These projects allow us to deliver meaningful capacity increases efficiently, while positioning the system for continued growth,” he added.

TPC is currently being acquired by Japan's ENEOS Holdings Inc. and will become a consolidated subsidiary of the Japanese group's High Performance Materials Segment, which includes the group's synthetic rubber operations. (ERJ report)