The fixed-bed cobalt-based FTO technology developed by the Low-Carbon Institute has reached international advanced levels

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The fixed-bed cobalt-based FTO technology developed by the Beijing Institute of Low-Carbon Clean Energy of the **Energy Group has reached international advanced levels. Author/Source: Collaborative Group on Advanced Processing and Hydrogenation of Coal Tar. Date: October 29, 2020. Clicks: 6. On October 18, the fixed-bed cobalt-based FTO synthesis technology used by this institute passed a 72-hour testing phase on a pilot plant with an annual production capacity of 300 tons; all performance indicators of this technology met international advanced standards. The results of the 72-hour calibration show that the oil production per hour per ton of catalyst is greater than 0.14 tons, the overall selectivity for oil exceeds 90%, and the selectivity for the by-product methane is less than 6%. The main technical product is high-melting-point FTO wax, which accounts for over 75% of the oil mixture; the drip melting point of the crude wax product is above 110°C. Based on the pilot test results, using the fixed-bed cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis technology developed by the Low-Carbon Research Institute, the consumption of synthesis gas feedstock per ton of oil produced is less than 5,700 standard cubic meters, and more than 75% of the resulting oil products are high-melting-point Fischer-Tropsch waxes. Currently, the price of domestic No. 70 wax on the market is over 7,500 yuan per ton, while the price of imported No. 105 wax is over 15,000 yuan per ton. Even at the current low oil prices, the economic viability of the fixed-bed cobalt-based technology developed by the Low-Carbon Research Institute remains outstanding. The high-melting-point crude wax produced by the fixed-bed cobalt-based FTO technology of the Low-Carbon Institute can be separated with high yield into high-end waxes such as No. 105 and No. 115, which possess great economic value and can break the monopoly of foreign companies on China’s high-end wax products. After 5 years of technical research and development, the cobalt-based FTO technology team at the Low-Carbon Institute has successfully developed a fixed-bed cobalt-based FTO synthesis technology whose main product is high-melting-point wax, with all key performance indicators reaching international advanced levels. The success of the fixed-bed cobalt-based FTO technology has opened up a new technical route for producing high-value chemical products from coal. It holds great significance for the clean, efficient, and high-value utilization of coal in China, and it will further enhance China’s overall capabilities in the field of coal indirect liquefaction, as well as boost the competitiveness of this technology within the coal chemical industry.