Asia is set to dominate the global crude distillation unit (CDU) capacity additions, with an estimated 40% share of total capacity additions from 2026 to 2030. This growth is fueled by a combination of factors, including strong domestic demand and investments in new projects and upgrades to existing facilities. The expansion of CDU capacity plays a crucial role in ensuring energy security and meeting the increasing consumption of petroleum products in rapidly growing economies across the region.
Leading the pack in Asia is China, which is projected to account for nearly a quarter of the total CDU capacity additions by 2030. The country’s significant growth in CDU capacity is primarily driven by substantial investments in refinery modernization to meet both domestic demand and enhance export capabilities. Key upcoming refineries such as Caofeidian V, Gulei, and Lianyungang II are instrumental in driving the CDU capacity additions in China by the end of the decade.
One of the standout projects in China is the Caofeidian V refinery, which is expected to add 401,000 barrels per day (bpd) of CDU capacity by 2029. Owned and operated by Hebei Xinhua Petrochemical, this coking-type integrated refinery is awaiting approval and is poised to significantly contribute to China’s CDU capacity expansion.
Following closely behind China is India, with an estimated 2.2 million barrels per day (mbbl/d) of CDU capacity expected to come online by 2030. The country’s robust CDU capacity growth is driven by surging demand for refined products in the transportation, petrochemical, and industrial sectors. The Vadinar refinery’s CDU expansion project is a major upcoming endeavor in India, set to add a capacity of 515,000bpd in 2029 with a total CapEx of $6bn.
For more in-depth analysis of global conventional refinery capacity and capital expenditure, interested parties can refer to GlobalData’s latest report, ‘Global Conventional Refineries Industry: Capacity and Capital Expenditure Outlook with Details of All Operating and Upcoming Refineries, 2026-2030.’
The original article, “Asia to spearhead global CDU capacity additions by 2030,” was originally published by Offshore Technology, a GlobalData-owned brand.
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