Commodity Production Costs Report
Ethylene Oxide Production from Ethylene (Air as Oxidizer)
Ethylene Oxide Plant Capital & Operating Cost Analysis | United States | Q1 2026
This report presents the economics of Ethylene Oxide production from ethylene. The process examined is a direct oxidation technology using air as the oxidizing agent. In this plant, ethylene undergoes direct oxidation in the gas phase, utilizing atmospheric air within a reactor-absorber system. Subsequent purification steps result in high-purity Ethylene Oxide as the main product and antifreeze grade ethylene glycol.
The report provides a comprehensive study of Ethylene Oxide production and related Ethylene Oxide production cost, covering three key aspects: a complete description of the Ethylene Oxide production process examined; an in-depth analysis of the related Ethylene Oxide plant capital cost (Capex); and an evaluation of the respective Ethylene Oxide plant operating costs (Opex).
The Ethylene Oxide production process description includes a block flow diagram (BFD), an overview of the industrial site installations, detailing both the process unit and the necessary infrastructure, process consumption figures and comprehensive process flow diagrams (PFD). The Ethylene Oxide plant capital cost analysis breaks down the Capex by plant cost (i.e., ISBL, OSBL and Contingency); owner's cost; working capital; and costs incurred during industrial plant commissioning and start-up. The Ethylene Oxide plant operating costs analysis covers operating expenses, including variable costs like raw materials and utilities, and fixed costs such as maintenance, labor, and depreciation.
The process under analysis comprises three major sections: (1) Oxidation; (2) Reagents Recovery; and (3) Products Separation.
Oxidation. Initially, fresh ethylene and compressed air are mixed with recycle gas (recovered downstream). The mixture is heated by heat exchange with reactor effluent, and fed into the multi-tubular catalytic reactor in which ethylene oxide (EO) is produced – Primary Reactor. Also, part of the ethylene is combusted, generating carbon dioxide and water.
Ethylene Oxide Recovery. The gaseous stream obtained from reactor outlet is sent to a cold water absorber – Primary Absorber – for the separation of light gases (mainly CO2, unreacted ethylene, and inert gases). The major part of the gaseous overhead stream is recycled to Primary Reactor. The other part is directed to a Purge System, where a reactor-absorber set in series, similar to Primary Reactor-Absorber, consumes unreacted ethylene, generating more EO, although decreasing its selectivity. A liquid solution, comprising EO dissolved in water, is obtained by combining all bottoms from the absorbers and is led to the third process section. Vent gas from the last absorber of Purge System is purged.
Products Separation. The EO/water stream from the absorbers is fed into the top of a stripper, where EO is steam stripped from water. The stripper bottoms – a water/ethylene glycol mixture – is routed to a column for recovering antifreeze grade ethylene glycol (MEG), sold as a by-product. The overhead gaseous stream, relatively concentrated in EO, is condensed and sent to EO Purification. This system consists of a two-column set. The first one removes light-ends, and crude EO is withdrawn from the bottom of this unit, while light gas is vented from the system. Then, the crude EO is fed into a final purification column for removal of water and heavy impurities. High-purity Ethylene Oxide obtained from column overhead is condensed and sent to storage. The bottoms stream is discharged as wastewater.
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Professional report based on Q1 2026 economic data, ensuring timely evaluations.
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What You Get in Each Report
Behind every cost estimate is a structured view of the process, its requirements, and the economics of building and operating the plant.
Plant Capital Cost Summary
Capital cost required to build the plant examined.
Plant Capital Cost Details
Fixed capital (ISBL, OSBL, and owner's cost), working capital, and additional capital requirements.
Plant Cost Breakdowns
Process unit (ISBL) and infrastructure (OSBL) costs, plus a plant cost breakdown by discipline.
Operating Costs Summary
Variable costs and the total operating cost of the plant studied.
Operating Cost Details
Utilities costs, operating fixed costs, and depreciation.
Plant Capacity Assessment
Capital investment and operating costs compared across different plant capacities.
Production Process Information
Block flow diagram, with descriptions of the process unit (ISBL) and site infrastructure (OSBL).
Process Consumptions
Raw materials and utilities consumption, by-product credits, and labor requirements.
Process Diagrams
Process flow diagrams (PFD), equipment list, and industrial site configuration.
Content Highlights
Plant Capital Cost Summary
Summary outlining the capital cost required for building the Ethylene Oxide production plant examined.
Plant Capital Cost Details
Detailing of fixed capital (ISBL, OSBL & Owner’s Cost), working capital and additional capital requirements.
Plant Cost Breakdowns
Breakdown of Ethylene Oxide process unit (ISBL) costs and infrastructure (OSBL) costs; plant cost breakdown per discipline.
Operating Costs Summary
Summary presenting the operating variable costs and the total operating cost of the Ethylene Oxide production plant studied.
Operating Cost Details
Detailing of utilities costs, operating fixed costs and depreciation.
Plant Capacity Assessment
Comparative analysis of capital investment and operating costs for different Ethylene Oxide plant capacities.
Production Process Information
Block Flow Diagram, descriptions of process unit (ISBL) and site infrastructure (OSBL).
Process Consumptions
Raw materials and utilities consumption figures, by-products credits, labor requirements
Process Diagrams
Process flow diagrams (PFD), equipment list and industrial site configuration
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Other Ethylene Oxide Production Cost Reports
Ethylene Oxide Production from Ethylene (Pure Oxygen as Oxidizer)
This report approaches the economics of Ethylene Oxide production from ethylene in the United States using a typical direct oxidation process. In the process examined, pure oxygen is used as the oxidizing agent. The reaction is carried out in the gaseous phase.
Details: 550 kta United States-based plant | Q1 2026 | 107 pages | Issue A | From $799 USD
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