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Industrial trial of direct conversion of coal to low-carbon olefins via syngas successfully completed Author/Source: Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences Date: 2019-09-20 Clicks: 64 Recently, the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, in collaboration with Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum (Group) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Yanchang Petroleum Group”), carried out an industrial pilot test of the technology for directly converting coal into low-carbon olefins via syngas in Yulin, Shaanxi, and achieved complete success. The performance of the catalyst and various key parameters related to the reaction process exceeded the design specifications, with overall performance being better than that achieved in laboratory tests. This technology is based on the original fundamental research findings on \"highly selective conversion of syngas to low-carbon olefins\" developed by the team led by Academician Bao Xinhe and Researcher Pan Xiulian (published in the American journal Science in 2016 and recognized as one of China’s top ten scientific advances that year). The pilot operation was successful, achieving a one-way conversion rate of CO of over 50%, with a selectivity for low-carbon olefins (ethylene, propylene, and butylene) exceeding 75%. It represents the world’s first industrial pilot plant built on these innovative findings. The success of this experiment further validates the advancement and feasibility of this technical approach, accelerating its industrialization. It will provide a new technical pathway for China to reduce its reliance on crude oil imports and achieve cleaner utilization of coal. OX-ZEO fundamentally overturns the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis route that has been used in coal chemical industry for over 90 years – a route invented by German scientists in the 1920s. By adopting a novel catalytic strategy that combines composite oxides with molecular sieves, it creates new types of composite catalysts, enabling a new process by which coal can be converted directly into high-value chemicals such as low-carbon olefins through syngas (a mixture of CO and H2). This achievement eliminates the traditional water- and energy-intensive water-gas shift process for hydrogen production, as well as the conversion processes of intermediate products such as methanol and dimethyl ether. It establishes, in principle, a new approach that enables the one-step conversion of coal into syngas with low water consumption (no water circulation in the reaction, and no wastewater generated), thereby addressing in part the Prime Minister’s concern regarding whether it is possible to carry out coal chemical processing without using water or with minimal water use. This achievement was hailed by peers as a \"milestone breakthrough in the field of coal conversion.\" The journal Science published an expert commentary in the same issue titled \"Surprised by Selectivity,\" arguing that this process will be highly competitive on an industrial scale in the future. Following the first report on OX-ZEO in 2016, the teams led by Bao Xinhe and Pan Xiulian promptly collaborated with the application development team headed by Academician Liu Zhongmin, combining their strengths to advance the research and application of this technology. They also worked closely with the Yanchang Petroleum Group to achieve a high-end architecture as well as integration between production and research activities. Over the past three years, the cooperating parties have focused on the world’s cutting-edge advancements in this field, addressing the key needs of national economic development. Through concerted efforts and hard work, they have overcome various technical challenges and practical difficulties, successfully paving a path of innovation-driven, collaborative problem-solving that moves from laboratory-based research results to industrial application. This approach has provided an effective new route for the transformation and utilization of scientific and technological achievements in our country. On September 19, the Chinese Academy of Sciences held a press conference at its institute to announce the results of industrial trials on the technology for directly producing low-carbon olefins from coal through syngas. The meeting was chaired by Zhou Dejin, Director of the Science Communication Bureau of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Reporters from 15 media outlets, including Xinhua News Agency, Economic Daily, Science and Technology Daily, China National Radio, China Science News, China Chemical Industry News, Global Finance, China Energy News, Liaoning TV Station, Liaoning Daily, Shaanxi Daily, Shaanxi TV Station, Dalian Daily, Dalian TV Station, and Yanchang Petroleum News, attended the conference. At the meeting, Bao Xinhe provided a detailed overview of the basic research results of OX-ZEO, and talked about the collaboration with Liu Zhongmin’s team to advance the transformation of laboratory findings into industrial applications, as well as the further cooperation with Yanchang Petroleum Group for industrial development. Yang Yue, Chairman and Party Secretary of Yanchang Petroleum Group, reviewed in detail the history of cooperation with our institute, stating that they would continue to strengthen their strategic partnership with us in order to accelerate the engineering development and industrial demonstration of the technology for producing low-carbon olefins directly from syngas, with the goal of commercializing this technology as soon as possible. Liu Zhongmin highly praised the cooperation model between our institute and Yanchang Petroleum Group, and stated that he would carefully summarize the experience gained from this cooperation, further innovate the mechanisms for such cooperation, accelerate the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and strive to achieve greater mutual benefits for both parties. This project is funded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Clean Energy Pilot Science and Technology Program, the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, the **National Natural Science Foundation of China, and our institute.