Global Launch of ECI Group Academy

News    ⋅    Global Launch of ECI Group Academy

ECI Group is delighted to announce that our learning experience platform, ECI Group Academy, is now available globally!

The online digital platform, hosted by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB), was successfully launched for our UK workforce in October 2024. Since then, we’ve been working closely with ECITB to find ways to make this platform available to all our workforce.

Together we’ve been pioneering the global and commercial roll out of ECITB’s online learning platform. We are excited to announce that going forwards, all ECI Group employees will have access to the ECI Group Academy; providing a world of knowledge at your fingertips, designed to enhance your skills and propel your career forward.

The ECI Group Academy offers a diverse range of training playlists, carefully curated from more than 8,500 courses to meet our employees’ professional development needs. Covering everything from the development of leadership and line management skills, enhancing soft skills, and covering core office safety and data management learning, the ECI Group Academy is designed to work hand-in-hand with ECI Group’s performance development process.

We’re always looking for innovative ways to provide training and facilitate the professional development of our staff. We will continue to develop ECI Group Academy for the future, so look out for further announcements as we do so!

18th LDPE Plant Improvement Conference

News    ⋅    18th LDPE Plant Improvement Conference

2^nd – 3^rd June 2025, Izmir, Türkiye

ECI Group was proud to be a Platinum Sponsor of the 18th LDPE Plant Improvement Conference, hosted by Uhde High Pressure Technologies.

Held in the vibrant city of Izmir, Türkiye, the event brought together nearly 200 LDPE plant operators, equipment manufacturers, and service providers from around the globe.

This annual gathering continues to be a cornerstone for sharing insights, addressing challenges, and showcasing innovations in the operation, maintenance, and enhancement of high-pressure LDPE and EVA plants.

This year, the conference featured a diverse range of technical presentations across 2 days, covering: safety-focused decomposition and relief processes; market trends and predictive analysis; advanced modelling for optimal plant performance; best practices in cutting-edge equipment and operations.

These sessions fostered open dialogue and knowledge exchange, reinforcing the industry’s commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Burckhardt Compression’s LDPE Technology Day followed the conference on June 4^th, providing informative discussions and knowledge exchange on optimizing compressor performance on LDPE & EVA Plants.

A major highlight was the unveiling of the ECI Group SuperCooler™, presented by ECI Group’s Vice President and HPPE Division Director, Chris Brock.

In his talk, ‘The evolution of modularization: introducing the ECI Group SuperCooler™’, Chris introduced the next big leap in ECI Group’s high-pressure technology offering.

The ECI Group SuperCooler™ will offer significant plant improvements, including:

• Reduced pressure drop
• Increased annual heat transfer effectiveness
• Reduced ethylene inventory and reduced reactor bay footprint
• Significant capital and operating cost savings

Designed for both new build and retrofit projects, the SuperCooler™ represents the next-generation innovation in high-pressure polyethylene plant performance.

Interested in learning more? Contact us to explore how the SuperCooler™ can transform your operations.

On Day 2, Francisco Larenas, ECI Group’s Consultancy Services Director, delivered an insightful presentation on ‘Plant Improvements for LDPE & EVA Operators: Increasing Productivity, Reliability, and Margins.’

The presentation focused on the importance of developing a structured and strategic roadmap to enhance the performance of an operating high-pressure polyethylene plant to a leading competitive position.

Francisco shared a practical example of ECI Group’s Plant Improvement Plan in action, drawing on case studies from multiple facilities to demonstrate a comprehensive path to profitability.

Explore our Consultancy Services, including zero-capital plant improvements, to see how we can support your plant’s journey to peak performance.

Beyond the technical sessions, the conference offered great opportunities for networking and cultural immersion.

Day 1 wrapped up with the annual conference beach volleyball tournament which sparked friendly competition and camaraderie.

Day 2 featured a gala dinner at the historic Agora of Smyrna, where attendees enjoyed traditional Turkish cuisine and a captivating performance of traditional Zeybek dancing.

The event concluded with a scenic sunset dinner at Konak Pier, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea—a perfect end to a memorable conference

The 2025 conference was a resounding success, offering valuable insights and forging stronger industry connections. ECI Group has been a long-term sponsor of the event and we’re already looking forward to the 19^th LDPE Plant Improvement Conference, set to take place in Shanghai next year.

We’re going to be working closely with Uhde to deliver expanded technical content for our licensees next year, so watch this space!

Brunch & Learn

News    ⋅     Brunch & Learn May 2025

ECI Group was delighted to host a technical ‘Brunch & Learn’ session yesterday at Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans. The event brought together 25 technical professionals with backgrounds in LDPE and High-Pressure Copolymer technology and plant operations from across North America and Europe.

With the central theme of ‘Economics of High-Pressure Plant Retrofits: Maximizing Profit of Aging Assets’, ECI Group’s Subject Matter Experts gave presentations on:

• Capacity Increase Case Studies: traditional debottlenecking and ECI’s hybrid reactor technology routes
• Co-monomers Addition: Case Studies, Products, and Challenges
• License to operate: Reactor Blowdown System – Alternative Selection for Brownfield Applications
• Extending the Life and Performance of Your Plant

The event also provided opportunities for open discussions and networking over a relaxed brunch atmosphere. Attendees shared valuable insights and practical knowledge from their unique expertise, making the session highly interactive and enriching.

It was great to connect with so many experts within the industry. We look forward to hosting more such events in the future!

For more information about the solutions we provide for plant optimization, visit our ECI Group Consultancy Services page.

HP Recycle Exchangers

News    ⋅    HP Recycle Exchangers Shipped

In an exciting project milestone, the HP Recycle Exchangers have been shipped from Funke Heat Exchanger Systems’ facility in Changzhou to our client’s site.

The plant, which is being built in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China by Guangxi Huayi Energy Chemical Co., Ltd. utilizes ECI Group’s Hybrid Technology on two copolymer lines and will be capable of producing 400,000 tonnes per year of EVA.

ECI Group provided the technology, design, and training for the two lines, and will continue to provide support through commissioning, start-up, and production.

ECI Group’s Hybrid Technology offering is unique in the industry as it allows for production of EVA and other high-value copolymers at capacities of 200 kta and higher, which was previously only possible with tubular reactors. The Hybrid technology offers the higher capacities of tubular lines with the expanded product capability of autoclave lines. In addition, ECI’s various proprietary design features and enhancements contribute to the overall effectiveness of the process and result in higher production with lower operating costs.

ECI Group is committed to developing localized solutions for our EVA licensed projects in China. The shipment of these HP Recycle Exchangers is a testament to the successful cooperation between ECI Group, Funke, and Huayi. Thanks to our combined efforts, these key equipment items will soon be installed on the plant, marking a major milestone in the plant construction.

200kta EVA/LDPE Award

News    ⋅     NZRCC Selects ECI Group’s HPPE Technology

Shanghai, China, April 29th, 2025

ECI Group, a world leading technology licensor and engineering services provider for the polymer industry, announced a contract award from Ningbo Zhenhai Refining & Chemical Company Limited (NZRCC) for a 200kta EVA/LDPE Plant using ECI Group’s proprietary hybrid reactor technology. This award marks a total of 1 million tonnes of nameplate capacity licensed by ECI Group since they began licensing their technology in 2021.

NZRCC is a key refining and chemical subsidiary of Sinopec in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province. The 200kta EVA/LDPE plant will form part of a large ethylene and downstream facility being developed by NZRCC in Ningbo’s Zhenhai District. ECI Group’s technology will enable the plant to produce 200,000 tonnes per year of LDPE, EVA, and other high-value copolymer products, with the ability for future expansion of product capability.

“It is with great pride that we announce our client NZRCC has selected ECI Group’s technology for their project,” said Joaquin Flores, ECI Group’s President and CEO. “This award comes the same week that we launch ECI Group’s office in Shanghai and reinforces our position as technology of choice for HPPE plants. We look forward to successfully delivering this project for NZRCC and helping them to deliver their highly competitive polymer production facility.”

Abhi Shivraj, ECI Group’s Commercial Director, said, “This is a landmark award for ECI Group, crossing one million tonnes of nameplate LDPE/EVA capacity licensed using ECI Group’s autoclave and hybrid technologies. Our offering represents a modern approach to high-pressure polyethylene plant design, providing the best combination of flexibility and reliability for multiple products and capacities.”

ECI Group’s scope covers the technology license, process design package, expanded process design package, and detailed design for the high-pressure system for NZRCC, as well as technical procurement services for the project and on-site technical support during installation, start-up, and performance assessment.

ECI Group’s hybrid reactor technology offers a wide range of high-pressure polyethylene products, providing unrivalled operational efficiency, reliability, and flexibility. Building on ECI Group’s decades of experience within the polymer industry, their technology has been optimized to make use of modern materials, design techniques, standards, and industry best practices for construction, operation, and maintenance. In the four years since 2021, ECI Group has licensed plant capacities of 50kta, 100kta, 150kta and 200kta, all using ECI Group’s standardised design approach. This licensing agreement with NZRCC demonstrates the reputation and versatility of ECI Group’s hybrid reactor technology.

Opening Ceremony

News    ⋅     Shanghai Office Opening Ceremony

Shanghai, China, April 10th, 2025

ECI Group, a world-leading technology licensor and engineering services provider for the polyolefins industry, celebrated the opening of its new office in Shanghai. This expansion marks a significant milestone for the company as ECI Group continues to expand its licensing and service delivery capabilities.

“We are thrilled to open our new office in Shanghai,” said Joaquin Flores, President and CEO of ECI Group. “China is ECI Group’s most important market. Earlier this week, we agreed a new license that takes our total licensed capacity in China to over one million tonnes of LDPE, EVA, EnBA and other high-value copolymer products since we launched our proprietary technology in 2021. Our new base in Shanghai will allow us to not only provide better support to our licensees in China, but also expand our consultancy services and Professional Technical Services offerings to other operating customers in the region.”

The Grand Launch Ceremony for the office was held on 9^th April 2025. Over 90 delegates from petrochemical companies across China, as well as key equipment suppliers and other partners attended the opening event, with speeches and presentations followed by a lunch banquet.

Representatives from ECI Group’s ownership and Board of Directors, Chris Brock (Vice President and Director of High-Pressure Business Unit) Bob Armstrong (Chairman), Dennis Radford (Chief Technology Advisor), and Jay Jacobs (CFO), cut the ribbon to officially open the new office.

“Today marks a significant milestone for our company as we open the doors to our new office,” said Bob Armstrong, Chairman of ECI Group. “This space represents not just a physical expansion, but a testament to our growth, innovation, and commitment to excellence. We are excited to foster collaboration, creativity, and success in this new environment. Together, we will continue to achieve great things and drive our vision forward.”

ECI Group’s new office, located at Building A, Mango Plaza, No. 27 Longai Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, will provide technology and engineering support services to local customers. ECI Group’s Consultancy Services division will also expand into the Shanghai office, providing specialist consultancy services to the polyolefins sector in China: delivering technology support and plant optimization services to help operators achieve their safety, profitability, and sustainability goals.

UK-Türkiye Cooperation

News    ⋅    UK-Türkiye Waste to Value Cooperation

ECI Group’s Business and Technology Leader for Advanced Recycling, Shalini Malhotra, and our Commercial Manager, Graham Cox, recently had the pleasure of participating in the ‘UK-Türkiye Cooperation: Shape Waste to Value and Water Sectors in Türkiye’ initiative, organised by the Department of Business and Trade.

Shalini presented the benefits of The Wilson System®, a game-changing waste treatment technology that converts organic and municipal waste into valuable commodities such as biofuel pellets, biogas, bioethanol and SAF. ECI Group has an exclusive agreement to license and market Wilson Bio-Chemical’s pioneering process to global regions, including Türkiye.

You can read more about the technology here.

The delegates included key players from the Waste Management and Environmental Protection Control departments in Türkiye. It was a privilege to present this technology and showcase a trail run of the Wilson System® autoclave so they could see the pioneering process in action.

A huge thank you to the delegates for their time and attention, to DBT for organising the event, and Wilson Bio-Chemical for demonstrating their technology. It was an insightful visit, and we look forward to future opportunities of working together to build a circular economy!

Shanghai Office

News    ⋅     Shanghai Office Announcement

In exciting news, ECI Group is delighted to announce our plans to open an office in Shanghai!

China’s polyolefin industry is a key market for ECI Group. We have already sold seven lines of LDPE and EVA in China since we launched our proprietary technology in 2021. This new office will allow us to not only provide better support to our licensees in China but also expand our consultancy services business.

For more information, watch the latest #WalkWithJoaquin video—an Instagram exclusive series that shares thoughts and updates from ECI Group’s President & CEO, Joaquin Flores.

Click the image below to watch the video and stay tuned for a tour of the office space in Part 2!

The office will be officially opened in April, so watch out for more information in the coming weeks.

EFW 2025

News    ⋅     Energy from Waste Conference 2025

Last week ECI Group’s Business and Technology Leader for Advanced Recycling, Shalini Malhotra, our Engineering Division Director, Brian Cornah, and Mechanical Engineering Section Lead, Bimal Shukla, attended the Energy from Waste Conference in London.

It was a great event with a fantastic line-up of the industry’s technical experts, government policy makers, international leaders, and innovative developers. Everyone came together to connect, share insights, and explore the latest innovations in the energy from waste industry.

Key topics of discussion included:

• Policy updates for the UK Emissions Trading Scheme.
• DEFRA’s update on circular economy policies and the role of waste to energy.
• Updates on the UK’s CCUS Policy and implications for energy from waste.
• Waste to SAF: SAF mandate and the Revenue Certainty Mechanism.

ECI Group was delighted for the opportunity to network with some of the brightest minds in the industry and build connections that will help to deliver our Sustainability and Advanced Recycling goals.

ECI Group is experienced with a range of range of waste-to-energy and net zero processes that are helping the move towards a circular economy. We are investing in state-of-the-art technologies to increase the recycling of plastics by dissolution, and waste-to-value technology that converts organic and municipal waste into valuable commodities such as biofuel pellets, biogas, bioethanol and SAF.

Find out more about our Advanced Recycling technology and contact us today to see how we can support your project.

1st High Pressure Maintenance Workshop

News    ⋅    1st High Pressure Maintenance Workshop

ECI Group was delighted to attend and present at the first US High Pressure Maintenance Workshop. Organized by Uhde High Pressure Technologies, the conference took place in Houston, Texas between the 25^th and 26^th February 2025. Equipment suppliers and technology providers from across the high-pressure LDPE industry came together to share valuable case studies on LDPE related topics providing expertise and insights into key industry challenges and innovative solutions.

ECI Group’s Mechanical Engineering Subject Matter Expert, Chris Willy presented a case study on a Reactor Corrosion Root Cause Analysis (RCA) study ECI Group performed for a client in the Middle East.

After experiencing a loss of thickness in the high-pressure tubular reactor downstream of a peroxide injection point, the client requested that ECI Group perform a formal RCA. ECI Group worked with our partners in the Plant Improvement Alliance: Uhde High Pressure Technologies and Burckhardt Compression to deliver the study.

The RCA study utilised Apollo Methodology which starts with the final effect (in this case a failure of the high-pressure tubular reactor thickness) and works backwards to identify causes and conditions that must be present for the effect to exist. The RCA identified potential issues with the peroxide quality, peroxide dispersion, and presence of peroxide during shutdowns.

A Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) study was performed to evaluate the effect of several variables on the dispersion of peroxide into the main process stream.

ECI Group provided recommendations to improve raw material (peroxide) quality controls as well as improving installation and maintenance procedures to prevent future problems.

As well as insightful case studies, the workshop included training modules that covered key areas such as sealing surface rework, lens ring flange connection assembly, high-pressure tubing threading techniques, and maintenance practises for high-pressure hydraulic control values and injection pumps.

The workshop was a huge success. The training sessions allowed for in-depth discussions and practical applications of the topics presented, and it was great to network with key players from across the LDPE industry. We’re looking forward to attending future High Pressure Maintenance Workshops in the future!

For more information on ECI Group’s high-pressure capabilities, or the services offered by the Plant Improvement Alliance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.