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Smart Plant for Producing Millions of Tons of Coal-Based Olefins Put into Operation Author/Source: Modern Coal Chemical Industry Date: 12-04-2019 Clicks: 72 To promote the adjustment of China’s energy structure, ensure energy security, and advance the clean and efficient use of coal, **Energy Group Ningxia Coal Industry Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Ningxia Coal Industry”) spent nearly three years building China’s first smart plant in the coal chemical industry – a smart plant for producing millions of tons of coal-based olefins. The million-ton coal-based olefin production smart factory is one of the key projects for Ningxia Coal Industry to extend its coal-to-chemicals industry chain and increase the added value of its products. It was developed over a period of nearly three years by eight organizations, including Ningxia Coal Industry and Zhejiang Zhongkong Technology Co., Ltd. Using coal-to-oil and coal-to-olefins processes as a basis, with naphtha and LPG as raw materials, cracking is employed to produce ethylene and propylene; subsequent polymerization yields polypropylene and polyethylene as the final products ； Benzene, toluene, and mixed xylene are produced using the aromatic extraction process. This factory is characterized by complex production processes, stringent reaction conditions, a wide variety of products, and large-scale investment. After completion and commissioning, compared to the design parameters and traditional coal-based olefin plants, the fluctuation range of key process variables was reduced by over 70%, the frequency of operations was decreased by over 95%, the alarm rate was cut by over 50%, the yield of dienes increased by 1.26%, the energy consumption per unit of dienes decreased by 2.78%, production efficiency improved by 24.17%, operating costs were reduced by 33.25%, and energy utilization efficiency increased by 10.6%. For the first time in the petrochemical industry, all core equipment has been made domestically, which not only broke the long-standing foreign monopoly over the core technologies, equipment, and materials for coal-to-oil chemical production but also created a platform for cooperation and innovation for domestic equipment manufacturing companies. The successful implementation of this project marks the development of a model for the deep processing of coal in China – a model that features high levels of technological content, high added value, and a long industrial chain, and one that suits China’s national conditions. It has also provided experience for the transformation and upgrading of China’s traditional coal chemical industry.