An Adventure in Catalysis: The Story of the BP Fischer–Tropsch Catalyst from Laboratory to Full-Scale Demonstration in Alaska

Abstract

This article describes the development of BP's Fischer–Tropsch catalyst from the early days of laboratory scale preparations and microreactors right through to commercial scale manufacture and installation in BP's new $86 million demonstration facility in Nikiski, Alaska. For those who were involved in the early work and who have remained with the project through to its latest phase, this has truly proved to be an Adventure in Catalysis.