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Progress on the Construction of the Shenhua Super-large Coal Chemical CTC-1 Project Author/Source: Coal Chemical Industry 114 Forum Date: April 10, 2020 Clicks: 18 On April 9, good news came from Harbin Boiler Factory Co., Ltd. of Harbin Electric Group (hereinafter referred to as the “Boiler Company”): the first batch of domestically produced David methanol reactors for the Shenhua Yulin CTC-1 project, manufactured by the Boiler Company, arrived at the construction site. The successful production and delivery of this equipment have broken the long-term monopoly held by foreign companies, indicating that the boiler company’s capabilities in designing and manufacturing large-scale petrochemical products have reached international advanced levels, thus making a significant contribution to the development of the domestic petrochemical industry. The David methanol reactor manufactured by the boiler company requires extremely high standards in terms of design, manufacturing, materials, and inspection. It features a high level of technical maturity, a complex internal structure, and significant manufacturing challenges; previously, such reactors had to be imported entirely. To this end, **we fully support the optimization and upgrading of traditional industries, and the development of several world-class advanced manufacturing clusters. Aiming at international standards, the boiler company actively promotes the petrochemical industry to move up the global value chain. Thanks to its strong technical capabilities and advanced manufacturing skills, it has earned the recognition of the British company David, which has authorized the boiler company to design and manufacture David methanol reactors. The Shenhua Yulin David methanol reactor was designed and manufactured using domestic technologies, which effectively reduced the equipment delivery time and construction costs. The Shenhua Yulin CTC-1 project is currently the largest coal chemical project under construction in China, with an annual production capacity of 1.8 million tons of methanol. The project includes 5 water-coal slurry gasification furnace units and 2 of the first batch of domestically produced David methanol reactors; all 5 gasification furnace units were manufactured and shipped by July 2019. During the initial stages of production, the boiler company organized several specialized seminars to anticipate potential problems related to each component and each manufacturing step, address them in advance, and thus create a smooth path for production activities. Through careful scheduling and setting plans for the various components based on their quantities, the tube insertion process proceeded smoothly, and it took 40 days in total to complete the tube insertion and welding of 2,076 heat exchange tubes. During the design and manufacturing of the first batch of domestically produced David methanol reactors at Shenhua Yulin, various departments of the boiler company worked together closely and took multiple measures to overcome challenges, ensuring the successful completion of all stages of production and laying a solid foundation for the successful manufacture of the products. In addition, innovative solutions have been developed to address challenges such as tube bundle structure optimization, π-shaped tube insertion, tube sheet assembly, and tube end welding, resulting in proprietary patent technologies for tube bundle support structures unique to the company. In total, one invention patent and eight utility model patents were filed, one of which has been granted. The first-phase project of the Shenhua Yulin Circular Economy Coal Comprehensive Utilization Project is a preliminary phase of this project (the CTC project). It also serves as a facility for producing methanol raw materials to support the already completed Shenhua Shaanxi Methanol Downstream Processing Project (SSMTO). With a total investment of 13.6 billion yuan, the construction includes facilities for producing 1.8 million tons per year of methanol along with 400,000 tons per year of ethylene glycol. The project comprises processes such as air separation, coal gasification, shift reaction, acidic gas removal, methanol synthesis, sulfur recovery, and ethylene glycol production, along with the necessary utility systems and auxiliary facilities. Once completed, it will enable integrated production and management with the SSMTO project. It is reported that General Electric (GE)’s high-cooling, efficient water-coal slurry gasification technology has been selected for the project to promote the clean, comprehensive, and efficient utilization of coal. The project utilizes 5 gasifiers of the single-series type, with a coal feeding rate of 3,100 tons per day on a dry basis, operating in a slurry-cooled process; the pressure level is 6.5 MPa. These gasifiers are equipped to produce 1.8 million tons of methanol per year (for olefin production), as well as 400,000 tons of ethylene glycol and other high-value downstream products. Methanol synthesis uses the David technology, while ethylene glycol employs the Shanghai Pujing technology. The Shenhua Yulin Circular Economy Coal Comprehensive Utilization Project (referred to as the CTC Project) was officially approved by the National Development and Reform Commission on March 16, 2015 (Document No. FGJN [2015] 508). It is, to date, the coal chemical project with the largest single investment in the world; the total investment in the project amounts to 120 billion yuan.