New breakthroughs achieved in clean and efficient coal use in Ordos

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New breakthrough in clean and efficient coal utilization in Ordos Author/Source: Date: 2017-12-19 Clicks: 13 The Zhongtian Hechuang Coal Deep Processing Project, China’s largest currently operational coal chemical integration project, began full commercial operation recently in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, further advancing the clean and efficient use of coal in China’s major coal-producing regions. At the Zhongtian Hechuang coal deep-processing project located in Wushen Banner, Ordos City, with a total investment of over 59 billion yuan, tall reaction towers stand upright, while silver and white pipelines wind their way through the site. The black coal is processed, and at the end of the production line it turns into crystal-clear plastic particles. Zhang Xiguo, the general manager of the project, said that the project is designed to produce 3.6 million tons of methanol and 1.37 million tons of olefins (polyethylene, polypropylene) per year, which will be used in industries such as manufacturing and aerospace. The sales revenue generated will be substantial, and the project will also enable the conversion of 8 million tons of coal each year. China is one of the world’s major energy consumers, with a high dependence on imports of oil, natural gas, and basic petrochemical products. It is characterized by abundant coal resources, limited oil reserves, and scarce gas resources. Experts believe that coal chemical technology serves as a bridge for converting coal into petrochemical products. China’s 13th Five-Year Plan for energy development calls for the orderly development of advanced coal processing, as well as the cautious advancement of pilot projects related to coal-based fuels and coal-based olefins, in order to enhance the competitiveness and risk resistance of such projects. Under the emphasis on innovation-driven development, modern coal chemical technology in China has achieved a series of breakthroughs. “China’s coal gasification technology has entered a phase of selecting the best options, with continuous improvements in terms of scale, efficiency, and operational duration. ”Gu Zongqin, vice president of the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation, said, “Coal liquefaction technology has also reached world-class levels. In 2008, Shenhua Group built the world’s first million-ton-scale demonstration project for direct coal liquefaction, developing a set of technologies with independent intellectual property rights, thereby filling a gap both domestically and internationally.” ” Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, located in northern China, has held the top position in terms of coal production capacity in the country for consecutive years, producing over 800 million tons of raw coal last year. Since the 13th Five-Year Plan period, the local area has seized the policy opportunities presented by China’s strategy to promote alternatives to oil and the efficient and clean use of coal. It has guided enterprises to rely on coal as a base for various forms of transformation, pursuing a path of value addition through resource processing, which has led to rapid development of the modern coal chemical industry. “A key strategy for Inner Mongolia to accelerate economic transformation and upgrading is the development of modern coal chemical industries, including coal-to-oil, coal-to-natural gas, and coal-to-olefins, with scales and technologies that rank among the best in the country. ”Wang Bingjun, director of the Inner Mongolia Economic and Information Technology Commission, said, “In recent years, the region has developed over 100 patented technologies related to the clean and efficient use of coal.” ” At present, the autonomous region has been approved for a coal-to-oil production capacity of 7 million tons, coal-to-gas capacity of 28 billion cubic meters, coal-to-olefins capacity of 3 million tons, and coal-to-ethylene glycol capacity of 2 million tons. Once these projects are fully built, they will enable the conversion of over 400 million tons of coal annually on site. The Inner Mongolia Yitai Group, in collaboration with experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has developed coal indirect liquefaction technology and high-efficiency catalysts with independent intellectual property rights. The fine chemicals project with an annual production capacity of 1.2 million tons, built using these technologies, has now entered the trial production phase. Shenhua’s first demonstration production line for direct conversion of million-tonnes of coal into oil is operating smoothly, with plans to build subsequent facilities ； The production metrics of the first phase of HuiNeng’s 2 billion cubic meters per year coal-to-gas project exceed those of the original design ； Construction has begun on Beijing Holding Group’s 4 billion cubic meters per year coal-to-gas project. With the development of the modern coal chemical industry, controlling and reducing carbon emissions has become an unavoidable reality, and research institutions are making concerted efforts in this regard. Since 2011, Zhang Jianbin, a professor at Inner Mongolia University of Technology, has led a team in conducting in-depth research on carbon dioxide capture and utilization engineering technologies. The patent for the \"Method of Capturing Carbon Dioxide from Industrial Gases Using a Polyol-Ethylenediamine Aqueous System\", approved in November 2017, enables a carbon dioxide capture efficiency of over 95% in flue gas, with a carbon dioxide content in the recovered gas of over 99%. “Taking the recovery of 14,900 cubic meters of carbon dioxide from exhaust gas per hour as an example, this can save enterprises between 3 million and 4 million yuan per year. ”Zhang Jianbin said. In terms of water conservation and emission reduction, enterprises are increasing their investment to upgrade relevant equipment. The Yitai coal-to-oil project in Inner Mongolia employs new water-saving technologies, processes, and equipment, achieving a water utilization rate of 97%, with water consumption per 10,000 yuan of industrial added value kept below 10 tons. As the modern coal chemical industry moves toward maturity, the industry has begun to consider how to achieve a higher added value through the efficient and clean conversion of coal. Gao Huaijing, Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Dali Industrial Park in Zhungeer Banner, Ordos City, where coal chemical projects are concentrated, believes that it is necessary to develop fine chemical projects and plan for downstream products. Existing chemical products should be reused as secondary raw materials to be transformed and given added value once again, thereby extending the industrial chain toward downstream stages and end uses and maximizing the utilization of resources.