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“Coupled development with multiple outputs, focus on the security of the industrial chain, and development of large-scale equipment technologies. According to Sinochem New Network, new coal-to-methanol projects should utilize green electricity along with green hydrogen from the outset in order to reduce carbon emissions and achieve carbon reduction targets; at the same time, they should be developed in conjunction with other coal chemical products through a ‘one input, multiple outputs’ approach； Technically, large-scale low-pressure isothermal high-energy recovery methanol synthesis processes should be developed to achieve a methanol production capacity of 1 million to 1.6 million tons per year per production line ； In terms of capacity allocation, attention should be paid to the security of the industrial chain from five aspects. ”At the 2026 Methanol Industry Development Conference held in Yulin, Shaanxi from May 20th to 21st, over 180 experts, scholars, and corporate representatives from the methanol and coal chemical industries across the country shared their insightful views on the development of the coal-based methanol industry. Currently, coal-based methanol production remains the absolute mainstay of methanol supply in China. According to Liu Shengkai, a senior engineer at China Tianchen Engineering Co., Ltd., by 2025 China’s coal-based methanol production capacity will be around 91.92 million tons per year, accounting for 79.6% of the total methanol production capacity ； The production volume was 85.93 million tons, accounting for 86% of the total methanol production. “In terms of the global growth rate of methanol, China is the region with the fastest growth, especially when it comes to super-large methanol plants with a production capacity of 1.8 million tons per year or more. This is attributed to the successful application of domestically developed methanol-to-olefins technology, advancements in large-scale and efficient coal gasification technologies, as well as improvements in equipment manufacturing capabilities. These factors have led to a rapid increase in methanol production capacity and swift development of the industry, enabling China’s methanol sector to reach world-class levels. ”As explained by Shan Xiuli, the former chief engineer of Hualu Engineering Technology Co., Ltd. Zhou Fei, an engineer and director of the Marketing Department at Southwest Chemical Research and Design Institute Co., Ltd., also said that China’s large-scale methanol production facilities have achieved full domestic substitution in terms of technology, equipment, catalysts, and other aspects. This has further accelerated the rapid advancement of coal chemical technology in China, while also leading to a continuous reduction in costs related to investment and operation. It is reported that the capacity of large-scale coal-to-methanol projects under construction in China currently exceeds 20 million tons. Regarding new coal-to-methanol projects, Liu Shengkai emphasized three points: enterprises should take into account the characteristics of the local coal quality, and by comprehensively comparing factors such as the reliability of technical operation, the advancement of operational energy efficiency indicators, and the economic viability over the entire life cycle, select the most suitable coal gasification technology ； To reduce carbon emissions at the source, green electricity and green hydrogen should be utilized through the deployment of new energy sources, while energy savings should be achieved through technological advancements in processing equipment in order to meet carbon reduction targets ； To establish an integrated coal chemical industry model, a development approach of \"one end with multiple outputs\" should be adopted to achieve coordinated development of methanol produced from coal and other coal chemical products, thereby forming a circular economy industrial chain. At the same time, when planning the capacity for coal chemical industries, including coal-to-methanol production, attention must also be paid to the security of the industrial chain. Li Zhijian, deputy director of the Petroleum and Chemical Industry Planning Institute, believes that strengthening the security of the industrial chain should be approached from five aspects: first, it is necessary to accelerate the development of coal chemical industry bases ； Second, it is necessary to accelerate research on the strategy of transporting chemicals from the west to the east, in order to gradually achieve self-sufficiency and greener use of chemical raw materials ； Third, it is necessary to strengthen the research, development, and application of innovative technologies ； Fourth, it is necessary to significantly reduce carbon emissions and achieve coordinated development of green electricity and green hydrogen ； Fifth, it is necessary to accelerate the development of coal-based new materials and fine chemicals. Regarding the development of coal-to-methanol technology, Li Zhijian stated that it is necessary to develop independent large-scale low-pressure isothermal high-energy recovery methanol synthesis processes, in order to improve the level of domestic methanol production capacity at the million-ton scale and above. The goal is to achieve a methanol synthesis capacity of 1 million to 1.6 million tons per year per production line. At the same time, it is also necessary to develop methanol catalysts and reactors that are highly active, achieve high methanol conversion rates, and have low energy consumption. (Jiang Xiaomao)