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The capacity expansion and renovation project of the ethylene glycol coupling unit at Hubei Fertilizer has entered the equipment installation phase. Author/Source: Sinopec News Network Date: November 3, 2020 Clicks: 14 On October 27, the civil engineering work for the capacity expansion and renovation project of the ethylene glycol unit at Hubei Fertilizer was completed, and the project has now entered the equipment installation stage. Upon completion of the project, the load on the equipment will increase by 20%, while the overall energy consumption per ton of ethylene glycol will decrease by 9.67%. This is of great significance for improving and optimizing the company’s production system as a whole. After the initial operation in 2014, the coupling unit of Hubei Fertilizer’s ethylene glycol plant underwent several technical upgrades, enabling it to operate at full capacity for extended periods of time. In line with the adjustment of its production structure and efforts to improve quality and efficiency, the company has decided to take advantage of the downtime of the plant to carry out upgrades to the coupling units in order to eliminate bottlenecks, further optimize various technical and economic indicators, and enhance the economic efficiency of the plant. This will lay a solid foundation for expanding the capacity and increasing production of the entire ethylene glycol production facility. Following preliminary planning and preparations, the project commenced construction in October of this year, with completion expected by the end of April 2021. The company’s technical staff started by optimizing the process flow; without modifying the recycle gas compressor, they redesigned the process. By increasing the pressure at the compressor inlet, they reduced the compressor’s power consumption and the pressure drop in the recycle gas system, thereby increasing the volume of gas in that system and enabling an expansion of the facility’s capacity. After the modification, the air intake volume of the coupling unit can be increased to 120%, while the consumption of steam and chilled water in the ethylene glycol plant remains relatively unchanged compared to 100% load. The overall energy consumption per ton of ethylene glycol can be reduced by 113 kilograms of standard coal, which will significantly improve the economic efficiency of the plant and contribute to high-quality development.