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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: 24 On June 28, 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 farewell. The welding equipment was turned off, and joyful cheers arose in the Mu Us 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 its ending point is the Mengda terminal. The total length of the pipeline is approximately 52 km, with a design pressure of 2.5 MPa. The pipe specification is D355.6×7.92 mm, and the medium transported is MTO methanol. There are 4 valve rooms 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 joint commissioning 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 approach by the project team. Establish a working system suited to integrated management, focusing on strengthening the proper interconnection and integration of contract, design, procurement, and construction processes to ensure seamless coordination, 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 at China Coal to produce 1 million tons of methanol per year; as a supporting pipeline project, it was essential to ensure that its progress kept pace with the overall schedule of the 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 coordination among all tasks. Within a single month, they managed to weld 20.7 km of pipelines, complete 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 wiring was laid, 4,325 pipes were installed over 51.78 km, and 4,325 welds were made over 51.78 km. The first welding attempt has a pass 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 goals 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 Enerchemical 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 an MTO-grade methanol plant with an annual production capacity of 1 million tons. 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 deoxidation station, integrated tank area, gasification slag disposal, gasification flares, etc.), a purification unit (low-temperature methanol washing, RTO system for flue gas combustion), a cryogenic separation unit (for methane cryogenic separation, LNG tank area), a sulfur recovery unit, and a methanol synthesis unit (for syngas compression, methanol synthesis, refrigeration processes, hydrogen recovery, intermediate methanol tank area, and finished methanol tank area). The Zhongmei Enerchemical 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 a 2×40,000 Nm3/h air separation unit that was completed and put into operation in 2013; meanwhile, some of the public facilities 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 feedstock to the olefin plants of China Coal Mengda Company.