The new transformed gas-based soda ash production technology has become a powerful tool for achieving energy savings and emission reduction in the soda ash industry

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The new transformed gas soda ash production technology has become a powerful tool for achieving energy savings and emission reduction in the soda ash industry. Among the 50 key energy-saving technologies listed in the **“Catalogue of Key Energy-Saving Technologies (First Batch)”** recently released by the National Development and Reform Commission, this new technology was included as an effective means to address energy savings and emission reduction issues in the soda ash industry. This advanced alkali production technology, developed under the leadership of Zhou Guangyao, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, has demonstrated significant energy-saving and emission-reduction effects when applied in soda ash manufacturing plants. According to analyses, this technology can reduce China’s energy consumption per ton of caustic soda from the current 10,000–15,000 megajoules to 8,000 megajoules, thereby cutting the specific energy consumption for producing one ton of caustic soda by 30%. Using this technology, the utilization rate of raw salt can reach 99%, and the utilization rate of raw ammonia can reach 96%. 　　The advantages in energy savings and consumption reduction are prominent. The new transformed gas-based soda production technology has several advantages in terms of energy savings and consumption reduction: first, it features the shortest process flow and the fewest pieces of equipment required. This process combines the carbon removal step in the ammonia synthesis system with the caustic soda production process, eliminating the need for investment in separate carbon dioxide removal equipment for the ammonia synthesis system. The carbon removal task is carried out as part of the caustic soda production process; simply by feeding the shifted gas directly into the caustic soda production tower, the carbon removal is accomplished. Second, the equipment has comprehensive functions and high efficiency, allowing for the elimination of auxiliary devices. Previously, two units were required to carry out soda production and purification, but the new transformed gas soda production method, through improvements to the equipment design, enables one tower to perform the functions of two. Furthermore, as the tower cleaning cycle is **extended**, wastewater discharge is reduced, thereby lowering consumption. 　　Meanwhile, by using this technology, the electricity consumption per ton of ammonia produced can be reduced by 100–120 kilowatt-hours, while the electricity consumption per ton of caustic soda produced can be reduced by 60 kilowatt-hours ； Steam consumption can be reduced by 70–110 kilograms per ton of alkali, and the calcination stage can see an increase in production capacity of around 10% ； The average estimated water savings are 15–25 kilograms per ton of alkali. The production system is a closed-loop system with no wastewater discharge. 　　Furthermore, this technology also enables microcomputer-controlled operation. At the same time, as the number of processes and equipment has been reduced, the workload related to civil work, electrical and instrumentation tasks, and installation has also decreased accordingly. In facilities of the same scale, applying this technology can save 20% to 25% in fixed asset investment. According to rough calculations, each ton of alkali (including 1 ton of ammonium chloride) can reduce costs by 42 to 48 yuan. 　　Promoting adoption to enhance industry competitiveness: The new transformed gas-based soda ash production technology, when applied in integrated soda ash manufacturing plants, not only results in significant energy savings per ton of soda ash produced, but it also helps to extend the operational life of the soda ash production towers, improves the quality of the crystallized soda ash, leads to a substantial reduction in the volume of mother liquor in such systems, and thus enables zero discharge of wastewater from soda ash production. This is of great significance for the caustic soda industry to achieve clean production and pursue a circular economy path; therefore, its prospects for adoption are very broad. 　　The adoption rate of this technology in the soda ash industry is currently around 15%, and it is expected to reach 50% during the 11th Five-Year Plan period, resulting in energy savings of 200 million gigajoules. To date, this domestically innovative and internationally advanced new alkali production technology has been adopted by more than a dozen enterprises in China, all of which have achieved significant results in energy conservation and emission reduction, as well as economic and social benefits. Taking Shijiazhuang Shuanglian Chemical Co., Ltd. and Shanxi Fengxi Group Jishan Alkali Industry Company as examples, the former invested 150 million yuan in carrying out energy-saving upgrades for the production of alkali from 300,000 tons of new-type shift gas, while the latter invested 150 million yuan in launching a new project for producing alkali from 150,000 tons of such shift gas. Both companies have achieved clean and efficient production, generating an additional 60 million yuan in taxes and fees each year as well as an additional 40 million yuan in profits; the payback period for the investment is only 3.5 years.