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New progress has been made in the much-anticipated ethylene refining and chemical integration project of Sinopec in the Yueyang area. On December 13, the Hunan Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment issued a resolution to Sinopec Hunan Petrochemical Co., Ltd. (Hunan Petrochemical) regarding the environmental impact assessment report for the 1 million tons per year ethylene refining and chemical processing integrated project along with the associated oil refining upgrades in the Yueyang area. The resolution stated that this project complies with **industrial policies and relevant site selection requirements; therefore, an administrative permit is granted, and the construction of this project is approved in principle. This marks the successful approval of the project’s environmental impact assessment, laying a solid foundation for its commencement of construction. The total investment for Hunan Petrochemical’s 1 million tons per year ethylene refining and processing integrated project is 35.68 billion yuan. The project consists of two parts: the 1 million tons per year ethylene refining and processing integrated facility, and the accompanying refinery renovation works. The ethylene refining and processing part includes the construction of 14 chemical processing units, such as one unit for producing 1 million tons per year of ethylene and another for hydrogenating 500,000 tons per year of pyrolysis gasoline, along with the necessary supporting infrastructure. The project will be built in the Yueyang Green Chemical High-Tech Industrial Development Zone ； The refinery upgrading projects include the construction of a new hydrocracking complex with an annual capacity of 3 million tons, a sulfur recovery unit with an annual capacity of 60,000 tons, a solvent deasphalting unit with an annual capacity of 1 million tons, along with the necessary supporting utility systems. Unit 2 in the atmospheric and vacuum distillation process will be upgraded to an annual capacity of 10 million tons, while the two 3.5-million-ton-per-year refining units at Changling Refining and Balin Petrochemical will be phased out. By adjusting the operating load and raw materials, it is possible to generate more ethylene cracking feedstock for use in ethylene production, thereby achieving the goal of reducing oil production and increasing chemical product output. The approval states that during the engineering design, construction, and operation and management phases, Hunan Petrochemical must implement various environmental protection measures, and take effective action to safeguard the environment during the construction period as well as in the operation phase ； Implement measures to prevent and control exhaust gas pollution ； Effectively prevent and control pollution from industrial wastewater ； Standardize and implement management measures for industrial solid waste ； Strengthen noise control management ； Implement requirements for the prevention and control of soil and groundwater pollution ； Strengthen environmental risk prevention ； Standardize the setup of various waste discharge outlets and signs; construct and install automatic monitoring equipment along with related facilities as required, and connect them to local environmental protection departments to carry out daily environmental management and monitoring. On September 16 of this year, the Hunan Provincial Development and Reform Commission issued to Hunan Petrochemical the \"Approval Letter on Approving the 1 million tons per year ethylene refining and chemical integration project along with the associated oil refining upgrades in the Yueyang area of Sinopec\", marking the approval for the construction of this project. On October 9, Hunan Petrochemical submitted an application for an administrative license regarding the environmental impact assessment approval report (ordinary category) for the construction project. On October 10, the Hunan Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment accepted the application in accordance with the law, and carried out the procedures for public announcement of the acceptance as well as the proposed approval.