The green development of Yulin’s coal chemical industry should follow three paths

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There are three paths for the green development of coal chemical industry in Yulin. Author/Source: Collaborative Group on Advanced Processing and Hydrogenation of Coal Tar. Date: 2021-11-18. Clicks: 12. Path 1: Expand and strengthen the coal-to-oil industry to ensure **energy supply security. By the end of 2020, Yulin had built 10 typical coal-to-oil projects, including those for coal indirect liquefaction, co-processing of coal and oil, and hydrogenation of coal tar. The total production capacity of these projects reached 4.868 million tons, accounting for 25.7% of China’s total coal-to-oil production capacity, ranking it second in the country. At present, a range of new coal-to-oil technologies with independent intellectual property rights are being applied in Yulin. Among them, the world’s first million-ton-scale coal indirect liquefaction technology boasts internationally leading capabilities; the world’s first coal and oil co-refining demonstration project has opened up a new technical pathway for coal-to-oil conversion, while the hydrogenation of coal tar to produce oil is developing rapidly, reflecting Yulin’s unique characteristics. **“The 14th Five-Year Plan states that it is necessary to advance steadily the development of strategic coal-to-oil and gas production bases in places such as Yulin in Shaanxi, in order to build up capacity and technical reserves. This year, the strategic approach to developing the energy and chemical industry in Yulin City is quietly changing. That is, to shift resource development from the \"three transformations\" toward ensuring **the security of comprehensive energy supply, to transform the industrial system from a focus on energy conversion to one based on diversified integration and multi-polar support, and to shift the driving force for development from reliance on resources to innovation driven by science and technology. Path 2: Accelerate the development of innovation demonstration zones for the energy revolution, and drive the coal chemical industry toward a model driven by technological innovation. At present, Yulin City is focusing on developing six industrial chains: the differentiated utilization of coal, coal-to-methanol–olefins and related products, coal-to-aromatics–ethylene glycol–polyesters, coal-to-oil, coal-based high-end chemicals, and chlor-alkali chemicals. The goal is to create a comprehensive chemical industry base that makes use of coal throughout its entire value chain, and to accelerate the development of a world-class high-end energy and chemical industry hub. However, the existing coal chemical industry suffers from issues such as high energy consumption intensity and high carbon emission intensity. Establishing new mechanisms and models for the integrated development of renewable energy, energy storage, and high-energy-consuming industries, and using renewable energy to drive the transformation of the coal chemical industry, represents a green and low-carbon path for development. At the same time, led by the differentiated utilization of coal, taking the lead in developing a carbon-free fuel industry based on ammonia as a fuel source, or developing green and low-carbon methanol through the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide, also offers significant cost advantages and environmental benefits. Path 3: Vigorously developing the carbon recycling industry is the key approach to the green development of coal chemical industry. In recent years, the modern coal chemical industry in Yulin has achieved remarkable progress in terms of industrial scale, technological innovation, and the enlargement of processing facilities, reaching international leading levels. It provides important support for China’s efforts to diversify its petrochemical raw materials. However, due to the technological aspects of coal chemical processes, their carbon emissions are relatively high. Based on an analysis of the carbon emission structure in production, about 2/3 of the emitted CO₂ comes from process emissions during the conversion process, while 1/3 comes from emissions resulting from the combustion of energy-consuming substances. Using hydrogen produced from renewable new energy sources (green hydrogen) as a raw material, renewable synthetic fuels – liquid sunlight – are being developed; this aims to establish leadership in the production of green methanol, reduce Yulin’s reliance on fossil fuels in its modern coal chemical industry, and **alleviate the pressure associated with carbon emission reductions**. For example, by leveraging internationally leading modern coal chemical technologies such as methanol-to-olefins, a distinctive industrial chain of \"green methanol—polyolefins, ethylene glycol, and petroleum products\" can be established.