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How China’s first project for producing ethylene glycol from waste gas turned \"waste gas\" into a valuable resource! Author/Source: Gasification World Date: 2022-06-03 Clicks: 27 In recent years, Yiwu County has adopted the development of a green circular economy as an effective way to promote the transformation and upgrading of its coal chemical industry. Faced with the large amount of waste gas generated during the initial processing of coal, Yiwu County takes advantage of the concentration of coal chemical enterprises there, actively introduces technology-driven innovation companies, and works towards achieving the \"dual carbon\" goals. With the commissioning of China’s first project to produce ethylene glycol from waste gas carried out by Hami Guanghui Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., what was previously considered \"waste gas\" has now become a valuable resource. On May 30, in the central control room of the waste gas-to-ethylene glycol project at Hami Guanghui Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. in the Yiwu Industrial Park, staff were using an intelligent control system to monitor and regulate the production process in real time. The total investment in Hami Guanghui Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd.’s project to produce 400,000 tons of ethylene glycol from waste gas amounted to 3.559 billion yuan. Construction of the project began in September 2019, and after phases of construction and testing, it was put into operational use in March 2022. It pioneered the practical application of China’s first technology for producing ethylene glycol from waste coal gas, thereby turning such waste into a valuable resource. Once completed, the plant will be able to consume 2.8 billion cubic meters of raw gas per year and produce 400,000 tons of ethylene glycol. Waste gas is an exhaust gas generated during the production of semi-coke. Due to its high nitrogen content and high level of impurities, it has been difficult to process and utilize. In the production processes of traditional coal chemical enterprises, this waste gas is sometimes used as fuel; otherwise, it is mostly burned off by lighting flares. This not only pollutes the environment but also results in a waste of resources. Li Peng told reporters that the purification of waste coal gas is the biggest challenge, and it has been difficult for a long time to find suitable ways to utilize it. The production of ethylene glycol from raw gas in this project involves four main processes. First, the raw gas enters a specific area where it is compressed and converted; thereafter, it undergoes purification and separation to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen, which are required for the synthesis of ethylene glycol. Finally, ethylene glycol is produced through two further processes: the DMO process and the ethylene glycol hydrogenation process. Compared to using waste gas as fuel, the capacity added by the ethylene glycol project increases the value of waste gas by about three times. Li Peng, deputy general manager and chief engineer of Hami Guanghui Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., said, “Our facility produces 400,000 tons of ethylene glycol per year, generating annual sales revenue of 1.7 billion yuan and profits of around 400 million yuan.” Ethylene glycol products are high-value basic chemical products that are widely used in industries such as textiles, chemicals, solvents, and fine chemicals. In China, 90% of them are utilized in the textile industry; the clothing we wear on a daily basis is made from these materials. ” Under the backdrop of the \"dual carbon\" goals, this project not only achieves maximum utilization of low-value waste gas resources by converting them into useful syngas, but also delivers benefits in terms of both economic efficiency and environmental protection. As a fuel, it is not possible to achieve carbon emission reductions; however, by using this waste gas as a raw material and incorporating it into products, more than 600,000 tons of carbon dioxide can be reduced annually.