What is driving naphtha hydrodesulfurization demand in China's new refining projects?

What is driving naphtha hydrodesulfurization demand in China's new refining projects?
New integrated complexes are embedding naphtha HDS as a core unit rather than an afterthought. The 83.7 billion yuan Huajin Aramco project, with 15 million tonnes per year of refining and 1.65 million tonnes per year of ethylene, brought a 400,000 tonne per year coker naphtha HDS unit into commissioning in March 2026. That unit deep-refines coker naphtha to produce compliant marine fuel and high-quality cracker feed, acting as a bridge between refining and the ethylene plant. Yangzi Petrochemical's upgrade adds 700,000 tonnes per year of naphtha HDS alongside continuous reforming and aromatics extraction. Demand is shifting from standalone desulfurization toward integrated feedstock quality control.