How to reduce the investment in gasification plants?

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How to reduce the investment in gasification plants? ——Yahua Consulting: Series on Coal Gasification Technology and Market – Part 2. Author/Source: Date: 2017-12-04. Clicks: 9. In the next 5 years, China will continue to see development in areas such as coal-to-oil, coal-to-olefins, coal-to-natural gas, coal-to-methanol, coal-based large-scale ammonia production, coal-to-ethylene glycol, coal-to-hydrogen, and coal-to-ethanol. Research by Yahuazheng Consulting shows that between 2017 and 2021, new coal gasification projects in China will add a synthetic gas production capacity of 27.7 million cubic meters per hour, which is equivalent to 236 gasifiers capable of processing 2,000 tons of dry coal powder per day. This will continue to create a strong demand for coal gasification technologies and equipment. http://img.yf116.cn/image/img/20171204/856273218783.jpg Coal chemical plant projects require huge investment, mainly because the gasification unit demands significant capital expenditure. Depending on the downstream products, the syngas production unit in coal chemical projects (including gasification, shift reaction, and purification) accounts for approximately 40%-60% of the total project investment. Reducing investment can improve the economic viability of coal chemical projects. How can gasification units further reduce their investment costs? Yahua Consulting believes that actions can be taken from the following aspects: 1. Install gasifiers of a larger scale ； 2. Localization of equipment ； 3. Engineering optimization. 1. Configure larger-scale gasifiers: Driven by large-scale modern coal chemical projects, gasification units are showing a trend toward larger size as well as higher temperatures and pressures. Economies of scale can further reduce the investment in gasifiers. Data shows that, taking an operational coal-based project capable of producing 1.8 million tons per year of methanol and 600,000 tons per year of olefins as an example, it is equipped with 7 water-coal slurry gasifiers with a coal feeding capacity of 1,500 tons per day (5 in operation and 2 as backups). If a coal slurry gasifier with a coal feeding rate of 2,500–3,000 tons per day is used, the number of units required can be reduced to 3 in operation and 1 as backup, thereby saving 15–20% on the investment for the gasifier. At the same time, reducing the number of gasification furnaces can lower the complexity of operation and management, as well as save on maintenance costs. 2. Domestication of equipment: The devices within the coal gasification area include more than 30 types of equipment, such as wash towers, lock hoppers, filters, etc., in addition to the key equipment, namely the gasifier. At present, for the more than 20 coal gasification technologies in use in China, over 90% of their components can be manufactured domestically. According to the data, taking the fly ash filter based on dry powder gasification technology as an example, imported ceramic filter elements were originally used, with 1,152 such elements required for each fly ash filter; later, Fe3Al filter elements developed domestically were employed. While achieving or even exceeding the performance of imported products, the price of domestic units is only half that of imported ones; a single fly ash filter can save 3.456 million yuan, **reducing both the initial investment in equipment and operating costs. By using domestically produced equipment while ensuring safety and reliability, it is possible to significantly reduce initial investment, as well as lower maintenance costs during the equipment’s operational life. It also shortens the procurement cycle and reduces production costs. 3. Engineering optimization: Based on years of operational experience with coal gasification units in China, a considerable number of equipment failures that lead to shutdowns are caused by issues related to engineering technology. Based on years of operational experience, the engineering optimization measures include: selection of burner materials and local reinforcement for the gasification process, selection of refractory brick materials and design of brick shapes, structural redesign of the quenching ring, modification of the quenching chamber dimensions, and optimization of the black water treatment system. Data shows that, taking the improvement of the quench chamber structure as an example, among the operating units in China, although the pressure and load vary from one unit to another, the structural design dimensions of the quench chambers are almost identical. As a result, the quenching water enters the subsequent systems, limiting the high-load operation of the gasification furnace. In recent years, engineering and technical personnel working on various devices have conducted extensive calculations and research, suggesting that increasing the size of the quench chamber and adjusting the dimensions of its internal components can effectively improve operating conditions. While patent holders of gasification technology, manufacturers of equipment and instruments, and engineering companies continue to enjoy significant market opportunities, they also face three major challenges. 1. The investment in the gasification unit accounts for a significant proportion of the total investment in coal chemical projects; how can the cost of gasification facilities be reduced? 2. The stable and high-load operation of the gasifier is crucial for the profitability of coal chemical plants; how can the performance of the gasifier be improved? 3. Gasification technology is evolving toward higher energy efficiency, larger scale, and greater adaptability to various types of coal – what new requirements will this impose on equipment and instrumentation manufacturers?