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The main welding of China’s first long-distance methanol pipeline project has been completed; the commissioning of China Coal’s 1 million-ton methanol production project is imminent. Author/Source: Coal Chemical Industry 114 Forum Date: June 30, 2020 Clicks: 6 On June 28th, at the construction site of the methanol-related pipelines for China Coal Enechemical’s second-phase project aimed at producing 1 million tons of methanol per year through syngas conversion, two welders stopped working, put away their welding guns, and waved as a sign of completion. The welding equipment was turned off, and joyful cheers echoed across the Maowusu Desert. After 146 days of intense construction, the 50.5 km long main section of China Coal’s methanol pipeline project was completed. The starting point of the CNPC methanol pipeline project is the CNPC Tukou terminal; the pipeline runs through Tukou Town and Wushenzhao Town in Wushen Banner, and ends at the Mengda terminal. Its total length is approximately 52 km, with a design pressure of 2.5 MPa. The pipeline has a diameter of D355.6×7.92 mm, and it transports MTO methanol as its fluid. There are 4 valve chambers along the entire pipeline, making it the first long-distance methanol pipeline project in the country. This project is carried out under the EPC turnkey contract model, with CNPC Pipeline Bureau being responsible for the design, procurement, construction, individual unit testing, and combined system testing of the pipelines associated with the China Coal Methanol Project, until it is ready for operational testing. Since the establishment of the project, the methanol pipeline project team and the EPC management team have leveraged the advantages of full-process EPC management, adopting a supervision and coordination model by the project team. Establish a work system suited to integrated management, focusing on strengthening the proper coordination and integration of contract, design, procurement, and construction processes to ensure seamless connectivity, reduce resource waste, and improve efficiency. Entering the construction phase, due to the challenges associated with fieldwork, the project team and the EPC contractor face dual constraints stemming from the environment of the Mu Us Desert as well as various social factors. 2020 was the year for the installation and commissioning of the technical upgrade project for producing 1 million tons of methanol from coal synthesis gas at China National Coal Group; as a supporting pipeline project, it was essential to ensure that its progress kept pace with that of the overall project. Faced with schedule pressures, the project team overcame the challenges associated with field construction by refining procedures and plans in areas such as community coordination, quality control, progress management, and HSSE protocols for field work. They arranged project milestones strategically, allocated personnel and equipment flexibly, and ensured seamless progression through each task phase. Within a single month, they welded 20.7 km of pipelines, completed 7 pipeline crossings via overhead methods, 4 crossings using directional drilling, 4 road excavations, and 30 underground pipeline crossings. Over 146 days, a total of 52 km of pipeline cleaning was completed, 4,325 pipes were installed over a distance of 51.78 km, and 4,325 welds were made over the same distance. The first welding pass has a qualification rate of 99.9%. The welding of the main structural components of the project has been completed successfully, laying the foundation for achieving the overall objectives of installation and commissioning for the China Coal Syngas-based 1 million-ton methanol production technology upgrade project. The second-phase construction project of China Coal Energetic Chemicals Company, which involves technological upgrades for the production of 1 million tons of methanol per year from syngas, is located in the Tuk Industrial Park in Ordos, Inner Mongolia. Land for this second phase has been reserved next to the facilities from the first phase, covering an area of 25.13 hectares. The project utilizes Zemach BGL fixed-bed slag gasification technology, purification technologies (low-temperature methanol washing + deep cryogenic methane separation), as well as advanced methanol synthesis technologies with low consumption and energy use, to build a facility capable of producing 1 million tons per year of MTO-grade methanol. On September 21, 2018, the groundbreaking ceremony was held for the technical renovation project at China Coal Ordos Energy Chemical Co., Ltd., aimed at producing 1 million tons of methanol per year from syngas. The main units include: a 1 million tons per year methanol production plant, which comprises an air separation unit, a gasification unit (for gasification, gas-water separation, phenol and ammonia recovery, coal gas compression, shift reaction and cooling, chemical deoxygenation station, integrated tank farms, gasification slag disposal, and gasification flares), a purification unit (low-temperature methanol washing and RTO systems for flue gas combustion), a cryogenic separation unit (for methane cryogenic separation and LNG tank farms), a sulfur recovery unit, and a methanol synthesis unit (for syngas compression, methanol synthesis, refrigeration processes, hydrogen recovery, intermediate methanol tank farms, and finished methanol tank farms). The Zhongmei Enechemical project, with an annual production capacity of 2 million tons of synthetic ammonia and 3.5 million tons of urea, was constructed in two phases. The first phase, which has an annual production capacity of 1 million tons of synthetic ammonia and 1.75 million tons of urea, included two 40,000 Nm3/h air separation units; these units were completed and put into operation in 2013. Meanwhile, some of the public facilities required for the second phase as well as all the office and living facilities have been built. Based on the current market conditions and operational status, Phase II of the project plans to shift from producing synthetic ammonia and urea to manufacturing 1 million tons of methanol, thereby supplying MTO-grade methanol raw materials to the olefin plants of China Coal Mongolia Da Company.