Abstract: The 2.0 Mt/a heavy hydrotreating unit of SINOPEC Anqing Company was based on the RHT technology developed by SINOPEC Research Institute of Petroleum Processing (RIPP) and designed by SINOPEC Engineering Incorporation. At present, the unit has been running to the 5th cycle, all using the RHT series residue hydrotreating catalysts developed by RIPP. The operation results of the unit showed that the performance of RHT catalysts could meet the requirements of desulfurization and denitrification in all five production cycles. The activity and stability of the catalyst could be further improved on the premise of reducing the bulk density of the catalyst. In order to prolong the operation period of the hydrotreating unit，a number of measures were taken to optimize the unit operation so as to reduce the pressure drop rise rate of the reactor，to make full use of the performance of catalyst and to ensure the long-term safe and stable operation of the unit.

Key words: residue hydrogenation, catalyst grading, desulfurization, carbon residue, hydrodemetallization