Breaking news: Sanju Environmental Protection has built China’s first ruthenium-based low-temperature, low-pressure ammonia synthesis plant, which was successfully commissioned in one go

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On July 26, 2019, through the joint efforts of Sinochem Green Energy, the Engineering Research Center for Fertilizer Catalysts at Fuzhou University, Jiangsu Heyou Chemical, Nanjing Jutuo Design, and other parties, China’s first ammonia synthesis plant featuring “iron-ruthenium relay” technology, capable of producing 200,000 tons per year under low temperature and low pressure conditions, was successfully commissioned on its first attempt. The plant was built by Sinochem Green Energy at Heyou Chemical in Suqian, Jiangsu Province. At present, under operating conditions of a reaction pressure of 10.5–11.5 MPa, an exit temperature of the ruthenium catalyst bed of 410–420°C, a hydrogen-to-nitrogen ratio of 2.6–2.8, and an inert gas content of 11–13%, the net ammonia yield reaches 14.5–15.5. The unit operates stably, with all technical parameters meeting the design requirements. The project was carried out by Sanju Environmental Protection, which upgraded the existing 200,000-ton synthetic ammonia plant owned by Heyou Chemical by utilizing a new generation of high-performance ruthenium-based ammonia synthesis catalysts as well as a complete set of ammonia synthesis technologies based on \"iron-ruthenium sequential catalysis\". This technology was jointly developed by Fuzhou University and Sanju Environmental Protection, and it possesses complete independent intellectual property rights. Compared with traditional iron-based catalyst ammonia synthesis technologies, it offers advantages such as lower reaction temperature, lower reaction pressure, a lower hydrogen-to-nitrogen ratio, and a higher ammonia yield, resulting in significant energy savings and economic benefits. At present, Heyou Chemical is adjusting and optimizing various operating parameters of the facility based on the characteristics of the ruthenium catalyst; after it has operated stably for a period of time, the economic efficiency of the facility will be evaluated and calibrated.