The 500,000 tons per year methanol-to-ethanol project at Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Yulin Coal Chemical is scheduled to be completed and put into operation by the end of the year

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According to Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Yulin Coal Chemical Co., Ltd., the company is making every effort to accelerate the construction of a plant for producing ethanol from methanol with an annual capacity of 500,000 tons. Once completed and put into operation by the end of the year, Yanchang Petroleum Group will have established the largest coal-based ethanol production facility in China in Yulin. At the same time, projects related to downstream products of ethanol and acetic acid are advancing simultaneously, with preliminary preparation work also progressing in an orderly manner. The methanol-to-ethanol and ethanol-acetic acid downstream products project is one of two sub-projects for the deep processing of methanol and acetic acid, implemented by Yulin Coal Chemical Company by building on its existing resources of methanol and acetic acid products, in line with the development strategy of \"completing the supply chain, strengthening it, and extending it.\" Located in the Yuheng Industrial Zone, the total investment for this project is approximately 11 billion yuan. The project utilizes coal-derived methanol, ethanol, acetic acid, etc. to produce vinyl acetate, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, vinyl oil, α-olefins, and polyolefin elastomers (POE), thereby establishing a demonstration base for high-end fine coal chemical new materials based on coal. Qiao Zhuhai, Secretary of the Party General Branch of Kaiyue Coal Chemical Company, which is in charge of the project construction, and commander of the project construction command team, told reporters that the 500,000 tons per year methanol-to-ethanol project, like similar projects carried out by Yushen Energy Chemical Company under Yan’an Petroleum, utilizes the dimethyl ether carbonylation and hydrogenation synthesis process technology developed by the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Since work began last June, they have overcome various difficulties by focusing on details to improve project management, breaking down tasks according to schedule milestones down to the day and assigning responsibilities to specific individuals ； Safety and quality management are integrated throughout the entire construction process, with innovative use of a \"fourth-party\" random inspection method to ensure strict oversight. As of the end of July, the civil engineering work had entered its final stage: 78% of the equipment installation was complete, 95% of the steel structure installation was finished, and 35% of the process piping installation was completed, giving an overall progress rate of around 80%. It is expected that the installation and commissioning of equipment, pipelines, instrumentation, and electrical systems will be completed by the end of October, meeting the conditions for operation; this will ensure that joint testing can take place by the end of November, with qualified products available by the end of December. The downstream products project for ethanol and acetic acid involves the construction of facilities for producing 300,000 tons per year of vinyl acetate, 30,000 tons per year of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, 50,000 tons per year of vinyl oil, 50,000 tons per year of α-olefins, and 100,000 tons per year of POE, all utilizing advanced domestic technologies. At present, the site leveling and pile foundation construction in the area in front of the factory have been largely completed, while patent technology exchanges and EPC bidding are underway. The project will be constructed in two phases. The vinyl acetate and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene plants, along with the associated auxiliary facilities, are expected to be completed by the end of 2026, while the vinyl oil, α-olefin, and POE plants are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2027, creating a development pattern of \"some projects under construction, some in progress, and some in reserve.\" It is reported that Yulin Coal Chemical and its affiliated Kaiyue Coal Chemical Company have an annual production capacity of 600,000 tons of methanol and 400,000 tons of acetic acid. The two plants are located about 1,000 meters apart, providing raw materials for projects related to the conversion of methanol into ethanol, as well as for downstream products derived from ethanol and acetic acid. At the same time, make full use of the surplus capacity of existing utility facilities for interconnection, without constructing new boilers and gasification units. Once the project is fully completed, the three new and existing facilities will not only be connected physically, but all available raw materials will also be utilized to the fullest extent, enabling flexible production processes and adaptable product designs, thus fostering coordination within the upstream and downstream industrial chains.