Climbing completed on the coal grinding framework of the gasification unit at the Inner Mongolia Zhuozheng Coal Chemical Project

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As the first light touches the sandy lands of the Ordos Plateau, the cranes in the Nalin River Industrial Park are helping to establish new benchmarks for China’s coal chemical industry within an investment framework worth 59 billion yuan. The completion of the coal grinding framework for the gasification unit in Inner Mongolia’s Zhuozheng coal chemical project marks not only the finishing of the concrete structure but also a technological milestone representing the transition of coal from a fuel to a material. This \"gasification matrix\", which uses 6.5MPa cryogenic space furnaces, is capable of processing 3,500 tons of coal per day per unit; with four such units operating in parallel, this scale is rare in the global coal chemical industry. Beneath the steel structural dome of the coal grinding framework lie sophisticated algorithms for the optimized utilization of coal. The project’s unique three-stage coupled process of pyrolysis, gasification, and synthesis enables each ton of raw coal to produce 0.8 tons of upgraded coal, 0.12 tons of coal tar, and 23,000 cubic meters of syngas, resulting in a 27% improvement in resource utilization compared to traditional processes. Of note is its product portfolio strategy: the capacity ratio of polyglycolic acid (PGA) to polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) strictly adheres to the golden ratio of 3:1. This dual-use approach with these biodegradable materials targets the multi-billion-dollar replacement market driven by global plastic restrictions. The technical excellence of this project is particularly evident in the pressure swing adsorption hydrogen production unit developed by the Southwest Research Institute. With an operating pressure of 5.3 megapascals and a hydrogen production capacity of 90,000 standard cubic meters per hour, it not only meets the requirements for methanol synthesis but also enables an acetic acid yield of 98.5% through the \"hydrocarboxylation\" process; it is said that this performance metric caused the seven international manufacturers that participated in the bidding to withdraw. Among the 7 billion yuan in investment planned for 2025, what stands out most is the implementation of a digital delivery system: more than 130,000 equipment units across the factory will be equipped with 5G smart sensors, thereby creating a data chain that covers the entire life cycle, from molecular structure to market sales. The production plan for 2027 is clear: of the 2.6 million tons of new materials to be produced, EVA photovoltaic film materials will account for 35%, while PGA materials specifically used for medical sutures will make up 15%. This high-end product structure results in an added value of over 18,000 yuan per ton, which is 2.3 times that of traditional coal-based olefins. It is now revealed that the technology for producing methyl glycolate from formaldehyde, which is currently under testing, has the potential to reduce the production costs of biodegradable materials by another 40%. This could turn China into an \"invisible champion\" capable of breaking foreign technological monopolies.