New path for non-grain ethanol production: First ethanol production project using coke oven gas comes online

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Source: China Chemical Industry News. On July 2, a launch event was held in Qian’an, Hebei, for the commissioning of the first project in the world to produce ethanol from coke oven gas – the 100,000-ton-per-year anhydrous ethanol production line of Zhongrong Technology Co., Ltd. Industry experts believe that its commissioning marks a crucial step forward for China’s coal chemical industry in the industrial production of ethanol, and it holds positive implications for helping China’s ethanol production avoid competition with food production and for increasing the country’s energy self-sufficiency. 　　Dai Shumei, chairman and general manager of Zhongrong Technology, said, “This project is the world’s first to utilize coke oven gas for the production of ethanol. With a total investment of 800 million yuan, it is expected that the annual output value will reach 2.5 billion yuan once it is fully operational.” Its key technology – ‘Research on Key Technologies for the Efficient Utilization of Coke Oven Gas and Acetic Acid to Produce Ethanol, as well as Its Industrial Application’ – has been recognized as a technology with independent intellectual property rights, whose overall technical level is at the leading stage in China. ” 　　It is understood that the anhydrous ethanol produced by this project has a purity of 99.98%, which exceeds the analytical purity standards specified in GB/T 678·2002 \"Ethanol (Anhydrous Ethanol) – Analytical Pure Grade\" as well as the standards set out in GB 18350·2013 \"Denatured Fuel Ethanol\"; thus, it meets the quality requirements of all industries that utilize anhydrous ethanol. Moreover, the ethanol produced by this project saves an average of 25% in costs compared to ethanol produced using grain-based methods. 　　Fuel ethanol can replace MTBE (methyl tert-butyl ether) and be blended into gasoline to increase its octane rating. At present, ethanol-blended gasoline has been widely accepted and promoted for use in countries such as the United States, Brazil, and Europe. Zhang Guohong, secretary-general of the Alcohol Branch of the China Wine Industry Association, said, “The United States produces 42.66 million tons of fuel ethanol per year, while Brazil produces 17.44 million tons.” Previously, in our country, the use of food fermentation methods led to conflicts over food resources, which restricted the development of fuel ethanol; currently, the production volume of fuel ethanol is only 2.6 million tons. This method opens up a viable path for the production of coal-based fuel ethanol in our country, and can contribute to **energy strategy and energy security. ” 　 Yang Chunhui, deputy general manager of Zhongrong Technology, told a reporter from China Chemical Industry News that the raw materials for this project are hydrogen and acetic acid, with the overall reaction being the conversion of acetic acid and hydrogen into ethanol and water. The reaction consists of two steps; the first step involves the production of ethyl acetate and water from ethanol and acetic acid ； The second step involves catalytic hydrogenation of ethyl acetate to produce ethanol. Among them, the hydrogen comes from coke oven gas (which contains 58% hydrogen) ； Acetic acid is purchased externally. The second-step reaction utilizes a self-developed copper-based catalyst, achieving a conversion rate of over 99% and a selectivity of over 99%. 　　Industry experts believe that this route is a coal-based ethanol approach suitable for China’s national conditions, and it could become another modern coal chemical pathway following coal-to-oil, coal-to-gas, coal-to-olefins, and coal-to-ethylene glycol. This line enables the recycling of coke oven gas, reducing emissions and waste, while also allowing it to \"process\" excess methanol and acetic acid.