Shanxi Jinxiang Coal Chemical’s conversion to pure-oxygen oxidation process put into operation, producing urea

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According to Shanxi Jinxiang Coal Chemical Industry, at around 4:30 a.m. on March 5, 2026, the company’s production system was fully operational, and qualified urea products were produced. This marked the successful completion of the annual maintenance tasks, as well as a successful first start-up of the plant; the company then shifted from the construction phase of the pure oxygen oxidation upgrade project to regular production and operations. During the driving process, the higher-level units and sister companies provided strong support. Professional guidance was provided on issues such as the ratio of vaporized oxygen during the commissioning of the unit at various stages of pure oxygen furnace startup, and the impact of coal temperature and humidity on the intercooling bag filters. As the main entity responsible for the operation of the oxygen generator furnace, the gas generation workshop has, since the initiation of the pure oxygen furnace project, worked together with the construction party and the supporting companies (workshops). Not only did they develop an understanding of green gas supply, but they also transformed from mere observers to key players by accumulating experience in operating the pure oxygen furnace and overcoming the challenges related to parameter optimization. From equipment maintenance to the construction of pure oxygen oxidation systems, from equipment installation to individual unit trials, and from resuming operations to producing high-quality urea products, all employees of the company and all parties involved in the project worked day and night, striving for excellence, to ensure that the entire process progressed safely and effectively. Shanxi Jinxiang Coal Chemical completed the heating-up of 8 pure oxygen furnaces by the end of January 2026. Thereafter, the purification plant carried out heating operations for the conversion unit, the synthesis plant conducted synthesis and raised the temperature and pressure in the dimethyl section, while the urea plant prepared to start up. On March 1, Boiler No. 4 in the water treatment plant was restarted after maintenance. At 11:40, the boiler was generating steam normally, with stable parameters; all operational indicators met the required standards, and the environmental emission levels were within acceptable limits at all times, allowing the boiler to operate smoothly. Shanxi Jinxiang Coal Chemical Co., Ltd. is upgrading its oxygen-enriched gas production furnaces by installing 10 new pure oxygen continuous gasification furnaces (8 in operation and 2 as backups), while phasing out 20 fixed-bed batch gasification furnaces. A new air separation unit with an oxygen production capacity of 16,000 m3/h will be installed, while the existing 2×35t/h boilers and gas storage tanks will be removed. After the project was implemented, the overall production volume of total ammonia alcohol and urea remained unchanged. Shanxi Jinxiang Company originally used bituminous coal from Jincheng as raw material, employing atmospheric pressure fixed-bed batch gasification along with carbon dioxide stripping technology to produce 180,000 tons of synthetic ammonia, along with 60,000 tons of methanol and 300,000 tons of urea as by-products.