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The operating cycle of Xinjiang Xinhuixia’s 600,000-ton coal tar hydrogenation plant sets a new record for the industry. Author/Source: Coal Tar Deep Processing and Hydrogenation Technology Collaboration Group. Date: 2022-07-11. Clicks: 13. The first phase of Xinjiang Xinhuixia Clean Energy Co., Ltd.’s 600,000-ton/year coal tar hydrogenation plant has been operating safely, stably, and continuously for 377 days since it resumed operations after maintenance last July. It not only achieved a self-improvement in its operating cycle but also set a new record for the longest operating time per cycle among similar devices in the industry. Xinjiang Xinhuixia Clean Energy Co., Ltd.’s 600,000 tons per year coal tar hydrogenation plant was completed and put into operation at the end of 2020; it is currently the largest-scale unit of its kind among boiling-bed hydrogenation projects in China. Since the maintenance and repair work on this facility began last year, the staff have, taking into account the technical characteristics of coal tar processing, strengthened monitoring at various key stages of the process and conducted in-depth research on the patterns of production operation and maintenance ； At the same time, in response to the shortcomings in construction, design, and equipment, technical solutions were developed and operational optimizations were implemented, successfully resolving 34 production-related challenges such as the short length of the pipeline at the outlet of the circulation pump and the difficulties in reflux at the top of the pressure reduction system. In particular, through practical operations, some valuable, practical, and effective experience has been gained in extending the catalyst’s service life and facilitating partial on-line catalyst replacement. It is reported that starting from mid-July, the plant will shut down for a comprehensive overhaul across all lines. While carrying out regular maintenance, 15 technical improvements and measures were implemented to address issues that could not be resolved during operation, thereby further optimizing the operating conditions of the equipment and enhancing its safety and reliability. This lays a solid foundation for maintaining a leading position in the industry and achieving safe and efficient production. Project Overview: The 1.2 million tons per year coal tar hydrogenation project of Xinjiang Xinhuixia Clean Energy Co., Ltd. uses the products manufactured by the clean refining company as raw materials. It also utilizes the waste gas generated by that same company to produce hydrogen, which is then used for the hydrogenation of coal tar, with the end result being downstream products. The main equipment of this project includes a hydrogen production unit and a hydrogenation unit. 1. The hydrogen production unit uses raw waste gas as input, and through processes such as purification and pretreatment, pressure increase using screw compressors, CO conversion, and two-stage PSA separation, it produces high-purity hydrogen for use in hydrogenation units; meanwhile, this unit can also generate sulfur products as a by-product. 2. The hydrogenation unit purifies the feedstock through hydrogenation, removing impurities such as metals, sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen, and carries out saturation reactions to produce qualified products. At the same time, the hydrogenation unit can produce liquefied gas, a small amount of No. 3 light coal tar, and asphalt products as by-products. The product range includes 1# light coal tar, modified naphthalene oil, modified washing oil, and modified anthracene oil; among these, 1# light coal tar can be used as a high-quality low-sulfur reformation feedstock ； Modified naphtha oil, modified washing oil, and modified anthracene oil can be processed further to produce white oil products. The 600,000 tons per year full-range coal tar fluidized bed hydrogenation unit operated by Xinjiang Xinhuixia Clean Energy Co., Ltd. is currently the largest fluidized bed coal tar hydrogenation unit in China that uses microsphere catalysts and is already in operation. It is also currently the hydroprocessing unit for full-range coal tar that has the lowest investment per unit of product, the lowest energy consumption per unit, and the highest product yield in China.