Xinjiang Tianyu Coal Chemical’s 5-million-ton coal chemical project’s hydrogenation unit was successfully commissioned with a single batch of feedstock

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Xinjiang Tianyu Coal Chemical’s 5 million-ton coal chemical plant’s hydrogenation unit was successfully commissioned with a single batch of feedstock. Author/Source: Coal Tar Deep Processing and Hydrogenation Technology Collaboration Group. Date: 2020-09-28. Clicks: 22. At 10:16 a.m. on September 26, Xinjiang Tianyu Coal Chemical Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Tianyu Coal Chemical Company”) successfully commissioned its hydrogenation unit using a single batch of feedstock, and hydrocarbon products derived from coal were produced successfully from Units 1 and 2. With the driving command given, all operational parameters on the large screen in Tianyu Coal Chemical Company’s control room were normal. The successful commissioning of the hydrogenation unit with a single batch of feed material marks the official operation of the Xinjiang Tianyu Coal Chemical Project after two years of construction; all units in the process chain are now operational, and qualified products are being produced, thus setting a precedent for Zhongtai Group in the field of coal-to-oil conversion. It is understood that affected by the pandemic, Tianyu Coal Chemical Company faced difficulties such as a shortage of staff and the inability of suppliers to arrive at the plant in a timely manner. The Party branch of the hydrogenation workshop assembled a team of technical experts to form a task force, which successfully overcame various technical challenges related to system drying, catalyst loading, catalyst presulfurization, and the introduction of oil into the facility during the commissioning process. The hydrogenation unit began water commissioning in early May, and carried out self-circulation tests for each unit involving the moving and stationary equipment as well as system airtightness checks. At the beginning of September, process oil was introduced to conduct hot and cold oil tests prior to startup. In late September, the hydrogenation unit underwent joint commissioning with coal-to-oil processes to ensure that all parameters met the requirements for startup. The successful commissioning of Tianyu Coal Chemical Company not only signifies the successful implementation of Zhongtai Group’s first coal chemical project, but it is also the first petrochemical enterprise in Tuoxun. The Tianyu Coal Chemical Project was the last project planned by Zhongtai Group at the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period. It represents an upgrade project for Zhongtai Group’s traditional coal chemical industry, as well as a pioneering project that enables modern coal chemistry to evolve into the petrochemical sector. As Zhongtai Group’s first project in the petrochemical sector, the Tianyu Coal Chemical Project marked a transition from coal chemistry to petrochemistry. It pioneered the use of coal to produce oil for Zhongtai Group and filled the gap in the group’s petrochemical capabilities. On June 16, 2020, Boilers No. 1 to 3 of the carbonization unit at the site of the project with a total investment of 2.561 billion yuan for the clean and efficient comprehensive utilization of 5 million tons of coal per year (Phase I), commonly referred to as the Tianyu Coal Chemical Project, were successfully commissioned after being fed with material for the first time, marking the official operation of this project following two years of construction. The carbonization unit is the first device among the overall engineering equipment of the Tianyu Coal Chemical Project to be put into operation; it is responsible for supplying raw materials such as raw coal gas and coal tar to the hydrogen production system and the hydrogenation system. The project mainly includes a carbonization unit with an annual production capacity of 1.2 million tons, a combined facility for the lightening of coal tar with an annual output of 300,000 tons, a hydrogen production plant that uses 26,000 cubic meters of raw gas, as well as various auxiliary facilities. This setup creates a circular economy industry that integrates the processing of raw coal, upgraded coal, coal tar, coke oven gas, hydrogen produced from gas, and hydrogenated coal tar, resulting in products such as lignite coke, hydrocarbon oils based on coal type 1, hydrocarbon oils based on coal type 2, and heavy oil. The successful commissioning and operation of this project will enable the clean and efficient conversion of coal, optimize the energy supply structure, and ensure energy supply security. It will play a significant role in promoting the transformation of Toksun County’s strategic resources and the high-quality development of its local economy, as well as in achieving the overall goals of social stability and long-term peace in Xinjiang.