The 300,000-ton coal-to-ethylene glycol plant at Weihé Binzhou Chemical produces high-quality hydrogen

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The 300,000-ton/year coal-to-ethylene glycol plant at Weihé Binzhou Chemical produces high-quality hydrogen. Author/Source: Coal Chemical Industry 114 Forum; Date: 2021-02-05; Clicks: 13. The plant uses GE’s coal slurry gasification technology; after conversion, purification, and gas separation, H2 and CO gases are obtained, which are then used to produce 300,000 tons of ethylene glycol using the synthesis technology provided by Takasago Corporation. China Communications in mid-November 2020. On January 4, 2021, the gasifier of the Weihua ethylene glycol project was fed with material. At 1:55 on January 30, 2021, after two rounds of manual sampling and analysis, it was confirmed that the PSA unit in the purification section of the gas production workshop at the Binzhou ethylene glycol project was successfully producing high-quality, compliant hydrogen. The analysis results show that the hydrogen purity is 99.98%, no total sulfur was detected, and the CO2 level is 0.23 ppm, meeting the standards for release. Subsequently, the qualified hydrogen is sent to the subsequent ethylene glycol production unit for reduction, providing a solid guarantee for the production of ethylene glycol products. The PSA hydrogen production system for the Binzhou ethylene glycol project uses the 12-tower process developed by Sichuan Tianyi Company. After the purified transformed gas is mixed with the hydrogen-rich gas obtained through cryogenic separation, it enters a gas-liquid separator at 3.6 MPa and 40°C, and then proceeds to the pressure swing adsorption system. Product gas with H2 purity ≥ 99.9% is obtained from the top of the adsorber. The CO-enriched gas generated again by the adsorber is pressurized and sent to low-temperature methanol washing for recovery and reuse. The 300,000 tons per year coal-to-ethylene glycol project of Shaanxi Weihe Binzhou Chemical Co., Ltd., part of the Shaanxi Coal Chemical Weihe Group, is the earliest coal-to-ethylene glycol project approved in Shaanxi Province, and it serves as a model for this coal-producing province. The project is located within the Xinminyuan Modern Coal Chemical Industrial Park in Bin County, covering an area of 600,000 square meters. In April 2016, Shaanxi Weihe Binzhou Chemical Co., Ltd. signed a CTEG technology licensing agreement and an engineering design contract for a 300,000 tons per year coal-based ethylene glycol project with Gaoxuehui and Donghua Engineering. The original owner of the project was Shaanxi Binchang Mining Group Co., Ltd. On November 19, 2014, the 300,000-ton coal-to-ethylene glycol project of Binchang Mining Group was officially transferred to Shaanxi Weihe Coal Chemical Industry Group Co., Ltd. The project construction includes the main facilities such as gasification units, purification units, and ethylene glycol synthesis units, as well as auxiliary facilities for water supply and drainage, desalination stations, power supply, heating, and fire protection. It also encompasses storage and transportation systems, as well as environmental protection measures such as waste gas treatment, wastewater treatment, and solid waste disposal. Upon completion, the project will have an annual production capacity of 300,000 tons of ethylene glycol; the by-products will include 17,576 tons of crude DMC per year, 5,336 tons of DMO reconstituted components per year, 5,920 tons of fusel oil per year, 13,440 tons of light fractions per year, 6,048 tons of heavy fractions of ethylene glycol per year, and 4,321.6 tons of sulfur per year. The total investment for the project is 5.495 billion yuan, of which 444 million yuan is allocated to environmental protection measures. It is expected to be fully built and put into pre-production by the end of this year.