Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) production capacity growth slows down. Shandong is the main MTBE production area

There are a large number of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) manufacturers in my country, including Wanhua Chemical, Yuxin Co., Ltd., Nanjing Jinling Huntsman, Shandong Shengrong, Shida Shenghua, Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical, etc. The market structure is relatively fragmented. From the perspective of production capacity distribution, MTBE production capacity has obvious regional concentration, mainly concentrated in East China, Northeast China and other regions. In terms of provinces and cities, Shandong Province is the main MTBE production area in my country, accounting for more than 40% of the production capacity.

Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) appears as a colorless, transparent, volatile liquid at room temperature, with an ether smell. MTBE has the characteristics of high octane number, strong anti-knock property and high combustion efficiency. It is mainly added to gasoline as a catalyst and anti-knock agent to increase the octane number of gasoline. In addition, MTBE is also an important chemical raw material and pharmaceutical intermediate, used to produce high-purity isobutylene, butyl rubber and other products.

In the industrial field, MTBE is mainly produced using methanol and isobutylene or methanol and tert-butanol as raw materials. Compared with European and American countries, my country’s research and application of MTBE started relatively late, but with the advancement of relevant technologies, my country’s MTBE production capacity has gradually improved. At this stage, my country has become one of the major markets for MTBE in the world, and its current MTBE production capacity is around 23.6 million tons/year.

According to the “2021 Global and China Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether (MTBE) Industry In-depth Research Report released by the Industrial Research Center Since 2015, my country’s MTBE production capacity has been in a slow growth trend, and the growth rate of production capacity has slowed down year by year. Affected by the new coronavirus epidemic, in 2020, my country’s new MTBE production capacity will only be about 700,000 tons, and most of it will be refining and chemical integration. Supporting equipment. The operating rate of MTBE companies is low, and the average operating rate of companies in 2020 is around 62%. From this point of view, my country’s MTBE market is already in a state of overcapacity.

As an excellent high-octane gasoline additive, there is still room for development in the MTBE market in the future. However, as environmental protection regulations become increasingly strict, the MTBE market also faces the risk of being replaced by other products, such as fuel ethanol. The intensified market competition has forced the MTBE industry to upgrade. As relevant research continues to deepen, the future development of the MTBE industry will be upgraded in the direction of environmental protection and integration.

In 2021, in the international market, the market price of MTBE in Europe and the United States is higher than that in Asia. At the same time, affected by the new coronavirus epidemic, unplanned factory shutdowns and other factors, the supply of MTBE in Europe and the United States will be more tight. Against this background, Asia, the Middle East MTBE companies in other regions have welcomed new opportunities to export to European and American markets.

Industry analysts said that methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is the most widely used high-octane gasoline additive. As gasoline finished products continue to be upgraded, there is still room for development in the MTBE market. At present, my country’s MTBE market is already in a state of overcapacity. There is less new MTBE production capacity and the operating rate of enterprises is low. In the future market development, the MTBE industry will transform towards environmental protection and integration.