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Accelerated Progress in the Industrialization of Coal-Based Ethanol Author/Source: Sinochem News Network Date: May 17, 2021 Clicks: 6 The 100,000-ton/year syngas-to-ethanol technology demonstration project carried out by Shaanxi Xinghua Group Co., Ltd. In recent days, the construction of the 500,000-ton/year coal-based ethanol plant operated by Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Yushen Energy Chemical Co., Ltd., located in the Yushen Qingshui Industrial Park in Shaanxi, has accelerated. Cranes with their long arms move around under the blue sky and white clouds, while construction vehicles travel back and forth on the yellow sand beaches. Every few days, a new large-scale piece of equipment is erected, and the scene at the construction site is changing rapidly. Tian Pinghan, assistant to the general manager of Beijing Petrochemical Engineering Co., Ltd. who is stationed at the project site, said that spring is a season for plowing and sowing, as well as the ideal time for construction projects. As the EPC contractor for this 500,000 tons per year coal-based ethanol project, they will go all out to ensure progress in a steady manner, with both quality and quantity under control, so as to complete the project by the end of May 2022, allowing this new player in the coal chemical industry to make its debut on the stage of clean energy as soon as possible. Taking over the task of turning research results into practical applications, ethanol is an important chemical raw material as well as a high-performance additive for gasoline; it can increase the octane rating of gasoline and significantly reduce the emissions of carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides from vehicle exhaust. However, there is a large supply gap for fuel ethanol. According to the 10% addition ratio specified in the \"Implementation Plan for Expanding the Production of Biofuel Ethanol and Promoting the Use of Ethanol-Gasoline in Vehicles\", jointly issued by 15 departments including the National Development and Reform Commission, China will need approximately 13.2 million tons of fuel ethanol in 2020. However, data shows that China’s fuel ethanol production that year was only 3.5 million tons. How to resolve this contradiction? Researchers at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, developed solutions for coal-based ethanol, and made a breakthrough in catalyst development in 2013, laying a theoretical foundation for the technological development of coal-based ethanol on an industrial scale. However, the laboratory research results are exciting, and the next engineering challenge lies ahead. Getting advanced research results from the laboratory to the factory is a greater challenge. Yanchang Petroleum Group bravely took on this responsibility by signing a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement with the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics. Starting in 2012, the two parties began working together on the development of complete processes for producing ethanol from coal. In 2014, they invested 743 million yuan to establish a technology demonstration project for producing ethanol from syngas, with an annual production capacity of 100,000 tons, at Shaanxi Xinghua Group Co., Ltd. “The ethanol production using syngas is a globally pioneering carbonylation-based ethanol manufacturing technique that is at the international forefront. The 100,000 tons per year pilot project represents the world’s first industrial-scale facility of this kind; there was no existing experience to draw upon, making it a process that had to be developed from scratch, which was extremely challenging. ”Recalling the circumstances of preparing the process packages and carrying out the engineering design at that time, Jia Yan, the deputy chief engineer in process engineering at Beiyou Engineering and the design manager for the coal-based ethanol project, remains deeply moved. During the busiest periods of work, Jia Yan and his team members spent over half a year working overtime almost every day until 10 p.m. Sometimes, to discuss a key flowchart, people often work until the early hours of the morning. The demonstration project was a success. After 9 months of hard work, Beiyou Engineering completed the development of the process package from scratch, taking a crucial step from the laboratory stage to industrial application. Subsequently, Beiyou Engineering completed the foundation design and detailed engineering design. Construction of the project began in October 2015, and the facility went into operation in January 2017. The purity of the products reached 99.71%, with all key technical parameters meeting or exceeding the design values. Over the four-year period from 2013 to 2017, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Yanchang Petroleum, Beiyou Engineering, and Shaanxi Xinghua joined forces to develop coal-based ethanol technology – a world-leading technology – from its infancy into a vibrant and mature form. The commissioning of the 100,000 tons per year technology demonstration project marks China’s emergence as the first country to possess the capability to design and build large-scale coal-based ethanol plants with a production capacity of millions of tons per year. It has also established a successful cooperation model in which Yanchang Zhongke focuses on the research and development of patent technologies and catalysts, while Beiyou Engineering is responsible for the engineering design and construction. After the project was put into operation, Beiyou Engineering and Shaanxi Xinghua carried out three major renovations of this installation, conducting continuous experiments to verify various industrial operation data and accumulating experience for future scale-up of the project. In 2020, the demonstration unit was able to operate stably over a long period of time. By the first quarter of 2021, the profit from producing ethanol from syngas exceeded 10 million yuan, demonstrating significant economic benefits. “During the implementation of this project, we have come to realize that the transformation and upgrading of traditional enterprises rely on the guidance and support of technological innovation. On this basis, we plan to shut down the outdated equipment in the existing factory and build a new facility for the production of anhydrous ethanol with an annual capacity of 100,000 tons. ”Zhang Suili, deputy general manager and chief engineer of Xinghua Group, said. The industrialization process is accelerating. Building on the successful operation of the 100,000 tons per year technology demonstration project, Yanchang Group has decided to construct a 500,000 tons per year coal-based ethanol plant in the Qingshui Industrial Park in Yulin City, taking another significant step forward in the commercialization of coal-based ethanol. On June 6, 2020, Yushen Energy Chemical Company held a groundbreaking ceremony for the 500,000 tons per year coal-based ethanol project at the Yushen Qingshui Industrial Park. Beiyou Engineering is responsible for the EPC general contracting of this project, and it is currently progressing in an orderly manner as planned. Sun Haibin, deputy head of the construction management department at Beiyou Project, said that as of now, 64.95% of the concrete work has been completed, 60% of the water supply and drainage pipelines have been installed, 19.25% of the steel structure installation is complete, and the process equipment has arrived one after another and installation has begun. Industry experts hold high hopes for the market prospects of coal-based ethanol industrialization projects. Guo Zunli, deputy secretary of the Party branch and general manager of Yushen Nenghua Company, said, “This project features advanced and reliable technology, as well as significant environmental benefits (with almost no emissions of waste gases, waste water, or solid waste). Compared to the acetic acid method, it requires less investment in equipment, giving its products a competitive cost advantage. It represents an important technological approach for the clean and efficient utilization of coal.” Moreover, this technology allows for flexibility – companies can adjust their product portfolio as needed to quickly adapt to market changes and maintain their competitiveness. ” According to Wang Hui, general manager of Yanchang Zhongke (Dalian) Energy Technology Co., Ltd., in addition to coal as the raw material, another important source of raw material for this process is the exhaust gas from steel mills. “Our preliminary estimates show that if all the exhaust gases generated by the steel industry were used to produce fuel ethanol, the annual production volume could reach 10 million tons. This amount would not only meet the current demand for ethanol-based gasoline but also help the steel industry achieve its ‘dual carbon’ goals. ”Wang Hui is very optimistic about the role of the tempered steel integration technology approach in helping the steel industry reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Liu Hanying, assistant to the general manager of Beiyou Engineering, said that the total production capacity of the projects already undertaken by Beiyou Engineering amounts to nearly 2 million tons, while the projected production capacity for upcoming projects is close to 13 million tons. The core technologies for all these projects involve the carbonylation of dimethyl ether to produce methyl acetate, and the hydrogenation of methyl acetate to produce ethanol; however, the raw material pathways and product pathways differ. Each company develops a suitable pathway based on its own industrial foundation and existing products, in order to create differentiated downstream products and avoid homogeneous competition. This is also what makes this project so appealing. “As pioneers in the engineering design of coal-based ethanol technology, it is our responsibility to contribute to the development of this industry. To this end, Beiyou Engineering established a dedicated ethanol project team, which conducted discussions on 26 different topics and developed a series of standards and specifications specifically for the engineering design of ethanol production facilities. As a result, standardized and modular products as well as patented technologies were created. At the same time, efforts to develop the downstream ethanol industry chain have been accelerated, providing solutions for market expansion and contributing to the healthy development of the industry. ”Liu Hanying said.