Clean and efficient utilization of coal reaches a new level

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Clean and efficient utilization of coal reaches new levels Author/Source: China Energy News Date: 2022-04-11 Clicks: 12 Data released on March 30 by the China Coal Industry Association show that in 2021, the production capacities of the four main sectors of modern coal chemical industry—coal-to-oil, coal (methanol) to olefins, coal-to-gas, and coal (syngas) to ethylene glycol—reached 9.31 million tons per year, 16.72 million tons per year, 6.125 billion cubic meters per year, and 6.75 million tons per year respectively. Among them, except for coal-based olefins which remained flat on a year-on-year basis, all other production capacities reached new highs. The China Coal Association noted that modern coal chemical industry is evolving toward higher sophistication, diversification, and lower carbon emissions, with an industrialized, park-based, and base-centered development pattern having taken initial shape. Meanwhile, breakthroughs have been achieved in the development of new carbon-based materials, energy conversion efficiency has generally improved, energy consumption per unit of product continues to decline, and the possibilities for utilizing coal have been significantly expanded, accelerating the shift from relying on a single fuel to giving equal emphasis to both fuels and raw materials. “Production, supply, and sales are all developing well. Important meetings held recently, such as the symposium on the clean and efficient use of coal and the plenary meeting of the leadership group for carbon peak and carbon neutrality efforts, have all emphasized the need to promote the clean and efficient use of coal. Driven by this, the planning and construction of new projects as well as the upgrading and renovation of existing projects are progressing steadily across various regions. As announced by the Xinjiang Development and Reform Commission on March 25, the list of key projects in the autonomous region for 2022 includes several coal chemical projects, such as the continuation of the Yitai Ili Energy 1 million tons per year coal-to-oil demonstration project, as well as the Xinjiang Energy Group’s project for the selective and graded utilization of 10 million tons per year of coal. Driven by efforts at the central and local levels, companies are also taking more proactive actions. Baofeng Energy recently revealed that the approval process for the 4 million tons per year coal-to-olefins demonstration project in Inner Mongolia is now in its final stage; construction can proceed once the environmental impact assessment is approved ； The industrial upgrading project for the expansion of Henan Pingmei Shenma’s coking capacity to 2.2 million tons per year, which involves an investment of 1.25 billion yuan, has received approval from the Henan Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment for its environmental impact assessment; the facilities are set to become larger and more efficient… \"When coal is used for power generation, the efficiency of energy conversion is generally around 40%.\" As a raw material, coal can not only sequester carbon but also produce oils and chemical products with high added value, thereby ensuring maximum cleanliness throughout the entire process from conversion to end-use. ”Ren Yanjie, deputy general manager of Xinjiang Qinghua Energy Group, gave an example to the reporters: when using coal to produce natural gas, the energy conversion efficiency can reach around 60%. The group has put the first phase of its coal-to-gas project, with an annual production capacity of 1.375 billion cubic meters, into operation, and is currently carrying out preliminary work for the second phase, which aims to achieve an annual production capacity of 4 billion cubic meters of natural gas. “During the winter of 2020–2021, we supplied 1.132 billion cubic meters of gas to the pipeline network on a stable basis, thereby contributing to ensuring a steady supply of energy while also promoting the clean and efficient use of coal. ” Some coal chemical products have even begun to go abroad. The reporter learned from **Energy Group that the polyolefin products manufactured by its subsidiary Ningmei Company have, for the first time, found their own export channels, with shipments to Thailand being made on their own initiative at the beginning of March. Last year, the entire group exported a total of 36,600 tons of polyolefins and 60,000 tons of coke, which were sent to more than 20 countries and regions; progress in expanding the international market for its chemical products has been promising. The technological innovation system is continuously being improved; promoting the clean and efficient use of coal makes strengthening technological innovation the most urgent task. The reporter learned that since last year, China has established 6 new key research and development centers, including **key laboratories for the clean and efficient use of coal-based energy** jointly funded by provinces and ministries, as well as engineering research centers for **large-scale coal gasification and coal-based new materials**. The technological innovation system that integrates industry, academia, and research in modern coal chemical industry is continuing to be improved. “We have just signed a supply contract with the Southwest Chemical Engineering Research and Design Institute for the gas regulators used in the CNGC-2 coal-to-natural gas project, as well as the CNJ-8 methanation catalyst, in an amount of 1.375 billion cubic meters per year. This marks the first time that catalysts for coal-to-gas production have been fully manufactured domestically. ”Ren Yanjie admitted that all the coal-to-gas projects currently in operation in China have long relied on imported catalysts, and due to factors such as long production cycles, long transportation distances, and significant impacts from force majeure, they face the potential risk of supply disruptions. “After 12 years, significant breakthroughs have been achieved in China’s coal-to-gas technology and the localization of catalysts, finally breaking the foreign monopoly. ” It is reported that, in comparison, the CNGC-2 gas regulator developed by the Southwest Research Institute has higher conversion activity and better stability. The CNJ-8 methanation catalyst improves the conversion efficiency of the one-pass methanation reaction, and it has proven to be a new type of catalyst that is more energy-efficient, more efficient, and more adaptable. “At present, the pilot project has completed the side-stream experiments with domestic catalysts. We have great confidence in domestic catalysts, and we will achieve 100% localization of process technologies, equipment, and catalysts for the conversion of low-grade coal into natural gas. ” Ren Yanjie said. Reporters have learned that there are still many technical challenges to overcome in the development of the coal chemical industry. Li Guangmin, chairman of Lu’an Huajī Group, gave an example: as a core technology for coal conversion, gasification plays an important role in the clean and efficient utilization of coal. However, at present, there is no gasification technology that can be widely applied to various types of coal. “Different coal gasification technologies have varying requirements for coal types, and the properties of coal in turn affect the gasification results; it is therefore necessary to further enhance the adaptability of these systems to different coal types. At the same time, it is necessary to scientifically select coal blending techniques and feed methods based on the surrounding environment and actual conditions, and to reasonably improve the gasifier after thorough research, thereby laying the foundation for stable operation as well as energy savings and consumption reduction. ” Efforts are needed to achieve \"zero carbon emissions\" throughout the entire process. \"As breakthroughs are made in key equipment technologies, a complete supply chain of technical equipment and a sound commercial service model for gasification will gradually take shape. This will ultimately lead to the development of an internationally leading gasification system that is efficient, environmentally friendly, economical, and safe, thereby setting a new example for the green and low-carbon transformation of the coal chemical industry as well as for the clean and efficient use of coal.\" ”Li Guangmin added that although significant progress has been made in gasification in terms of basic research and technology development, to support the goals of reducing carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality, further breakthroughs are still needed in technologies and equipment for the clean and efficient use of coal. How to accelerate the upgrading of coal consumption – this is precisely the new challenge facing the entire industry. “What criteria are used to measure whether it is high-quality development? ”Shang Jianxuan, vice general manager of Shaanxi Coal Group, believes that the goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality will drive coal chemical industry to return to its fundamental role as a means for the clean and efficient conversion and utilization of coal. “To address this, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the raw coal; when selecting technologies and processes, low energy consumption and low emissions should serve as the criteria, with the goal of achieving the lowest possible material and energy usage as well as the least amount of emissions, while also enabling circular and green integrated production within the industrial park. ” Liu Feng, vice president of the China Coal Association, proposed a development strategy centered on \"high-endization, diversification, and low-carbonization.\" He suggested continuing to extend the industrial chain and developing high-performance products, making full use of competitive advantages through differentiated development to achieve product diversification, and thus creating a coal chemical industry with \"zero carbon emissions.\" “Develop new high-efficiency catalysts, as well as energy-saving technologies for processes, in order to reduce carbon emissions at the source in coal chemical processes ； Overcome the technical challenges associated with integrating renewable energy-based hydrogen and oxygen production with coal chemical synthesis processes, and utilize green hydrogen and green oxygen to reduce carbon emissions in these processes ； Utilize renewable green electricity to advance research on carbon capture, storage, and utilization technologies in the coal chemical industry; overcome challenges related to low-cost carbon dioxide capture, its use in chemical and mineralization processes, as well as geological storage for oil displacement; and develop chemicals such as aromatics, ethanol, and ethylene glycol from carbon dioxide. ”