Sinopec has achieved outstanding results in the systematic management of heating furnaces for 18 consecutive years; the average thermal efficiency of tubular heating furnaces in its refining division has increased significantly from 89.34% to 93.15%

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Recently, at Sinopec’s 2025 Annual Heating Furnace Conference held in Yueyang, some impressive figures were presented: through 18 years of systematic and professional management, the average thermal efficiency of tubular heating furnaces in the group’s refining sector increased significantly from 89.34% to 93.15%, while the average efficiency of ethylene cracking furnaces in the chemical sector rose from 92.16% to 94.47%. As a result, carbon emissions were reduced by approximately 6.08 million tons, bringing these figures to world-class levels. This annual meeting brought together senior managers and relevant experts from the group’s refining division, chemical division, various refining and chemical enterprises, as well as professional evaluation agencies. The meeting focused on in-depth discussions regarding the improvement of energy efficiency in heating furnaces, cost reduction and environmental protection, technological innovation, as well as safety and environmental management, with the aim of consolidating existing achievements and planning for future directions. The outstanding performance in the management of heating furnaces at Sinopec stems from an effective and consistent management system. Launched 18 years ago and led by the refining and chemical industries, it has held professional annual conferences for 10 consecutive years to create a stable platform for high-level exchanges in technology and management. More importantly, for 18 consecutive years, the Group has commissioned a reputable third-party organization to conduct independent and scientific energy efficiency evaluations of the heating furnaces in its affiliated enterprises. To date, a total of 6,969 evaluations have been carried out, providing solid data support for management decision-making. Through the annual meeting platform, it is possible to **systematically organize the revision of management rules, review evaluation results, analyze typical issues, share best practices, and develop optimization strategies; meanwhile, key tasks are turned into scheduled activities, thereby achieving standardized, periodic management and continuous improvement. The effectiveness of management is ultimately reflected in specific improvements in energy efficiency. Various refining and chemical enterprises actively implement the group’s strategies while innovating based on their own realities. For example, Hunan Petrochemical made full use of the downtime for major maintenance to carry out energy-saving upgrades such as those involving efficient heat exchangers and air preheaters. It also intensified the desulfurization of fuel gas in order to reduce dew point corrosion. By implementing a detailed management approach tailored to each furnace, it managed to achieve a weighted average thermal efficiency of 94.2% for its refinery tubular heaters by 2025, setting a new record for energy efficiency among all the heaters in the group company. At the meeting, the best practices of enterprises such as Sino-Korea (Wuhan) Petrochemical and Jinling Petrochemical were also shared and promoted. In the face of common industry challenges such as scientific calculation of heat loss and optimization of furnace interlocks, the annual conference organized specialized studies to establish new technical requirements, thereby continuously driving technological progress and improved management practices. “Heating furnaces are major energy consumers in refining and petrochemical enterprises, and the annual meeting is meant to focus on the key aspects and core issues,” said Ren Gang, manager of the Equipment Department in the Refining Division, at the meeting. “Through scientific management, reliable technology, and meticulous operation and maintenance, our goal is not only to reach first-class standards but also to set such standards.” ”