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Part Four of the series on Yanchang Yueneng Chemical’s innovative efforts to drive high-quality development. Author/Source: Sinochem News Network. Date: 2022-12-09. Clicks: 25. On November 24, the People’s Government of Shaanxi Province issued a notice recognizing units and individuals who made outstanding contributions to energy conservation and emission reduction during the 13th Five-Year Plan period; Shaanxi Yanchang China Coal Yulin Energy Chemical Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Yanchang Yueneng Chemical) was awarded the title of advanced enterprise in energy conservation and emission reduction for that period. Since the beginning of this year, Yanchang Yueneng Chemical has been named one of the most influential companies in China’s polyolefin industry for three consecutive years ； It was included in the MIIT’s “2021 Green Manufacturing List”, becoming one of the first **-grade “Green Factories” under the Yanchang Petroleum Group” ； It was awarded the title of the only \"Provincial Water Conservation Model Enterprise\" in Shaanxi Province for 2021. Polish the green “business card” of model projects. Upon entering the Yanchang Yueneng Chemical Plant, the slogan \"New leaps in greenness and low carbon, innovation, coordination, and high quality\" is particularly eye-catching. In the large production facility, no industrial wastewater discharge outlets can be seen, as all the industrial wastewater and rainwater generated on site are fully reused. It is understood that Jingbian in Shaanxi, where the Yanchang Yueneng Chemical Plant is located, is situated on the southern edge of the Mu Us Desert, with a fragile ecological environment. Given that production wastewater is characterized by high salt content, high levels of organic pollutants, and a complex composition, from the outset of the project’s construction, Yueneng Chemical Industry adhered to high standards and installed demonstration facilities for zero-discharge and resource utilization of high-salt wastewater. All the wastewater generated was comprehensively utilized, thus paving a new path for the development of the energy and chemical industry in ecologically fragile areas. Liu Chunlin, manager of the Public Utilities Center at Yulin Energy Chemical Industry, told reporters that since the zero-emission facility came online in March 2015, continuous improvements have been made to ensure its stable operation over long periods of time. Efforts have also been made to explore solutions through technical integration and application demonstrations, with the aim of establishing an innovative system for achieving zero wastewater discharge and covering the entire process. Currently, the zero-discharge system accepts all upstream wastewater inflows; it has an hourly treatment capacity of 700 cubic meters. Each year, it regenerates approximately 5.6 million tons of wastewater, which is then reused as make-up water for circulating water systems or as raw water for desalination. The wastewater reuse rate exceeds 97.7%, resulting in an annual reduction of fresh water intake by roughly 20 million tons. In April this year, the salt drying and packaging facility for the recycled water and concentrated brine produced by the completion works of the first phase of the Yanchang Yueneng Chemical Project was completed. The miscellaneous salts generated from wastewater treatment are reused as resources, yielding by-products such as sodium chloride and sodium sulfate, which are sold to generate economic benefits. “The project for the resource utilization of mixed salts from the fourth and sixth effect evaporation crystallization units in the reclaimed water plant (under the BOO model) has also been launched, with completion and operation expected next year. ”Liu Chunlin told the reporters. Extending and complementing chains to drive industrial transformation: Under the impact of volatile energy prices, the economic benefits arising from the comprehensive utilization of coal, oil, and gas resources by Yuenenghua have become even more significant, with its scale advantages growing stronger and its capacity to generate profits improving markedly. However, in the view of Li Wei, the Party secretary and chairman of the company, there is still potential to improve the profitability of by-products and to reduce costs while increasing efficiency. “There is still room for improvement in terms of energy conservation and carbon reduction. For example, optimizing production processes can result in energy savings of 1% to 3%; technical upgrades can further reduce energy consumption by 3% to 8%; while implementing innovative technological solutions can lead to energy savings of over 10%. ”Li Wei said that the company will this year conduct research and efforts focused on the comprehensive utilization of carbon four, carbon five, and gasification fines generated as by-products, the utilization of low-temperature heat, and the recovery of non-condensable gases from synthesis units. Guided by the \"dual carbon\" strategy, Yueneng Chemical focuses heavily on research into cutting-edge key technologies such as new energy sources, green hydrogen, methanol production from carbon dioxide, and olefin production from carbon dioxide. It develops new business models aimed at reducing carbon emissions, thereby enabling an orderly transition and transformation of the industry. For example, the rooftops of the factory buildings and the parking areas provide a usable area of 279,000 square meters, which can be used to generate photovoltaic power to supplement the electricity needed for production ； Explore and verify the feasibility of coupling green hydrogen with coal chemical technologies, and introduce and implement them at an appropriate time. At the same time, taking advantage of Yanchang Petroleum’s unique strength in possessing a complete industrial chain for oil and gas extraction as well as coal chemical processing, the company is making significant efforts to develop carbon dioxide capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies, and to promote the industrial application of carbon dioxide for oil extraction in oil fields. The first carbon dioxide compression and refrigeration project with an annual capacity of 1.6 million tons will be established at Yanchang Yueneng Chemical Industry. Through research, Yanchang Yueneng Chemical has clarified its development strategy for the 14th Five-Year Plan as well as the approaches for utilizing by-products. It has preliminarily identified a list of projects that can be implemented, including making every effort to make comprehensive use of naphtha and light diesel, projects for recycling salt from wastewater treatment plants, projects for recycling salt from waste alkali solutions, as well as improvements such as the concentration of methanol gasified water-coal slurry and the renovation of desulfurization towers in DCC units. Striving with determination to achieve first-class status in the country. The prominent feature of China’s energy and resource profile is an abundance of coal but a shortage of oil and gas; therefore, developing coal chemical industry has become an important way to promote the transformation and upgrading of coal consumption and to ensure energy and resource security. In September 2021, **** emphasized during an inspection in Yulin, Shaanxi, that the coal chemical industry holds great potential and a bright future. It is necessary to improve the comprehensive utilization efficiency of coal as a chemical raw material, and to promote the high-end, diversified, and low-carbon development of the coal chemical industry. “We fully understand the essence of the **speech, are brave in innovation and breakthroughs, and strive to advance the comprehensive utilization of gas and oil resources as well as green and low-carbon development, aiming to become a leading enterprise in the country. ”Li Wei said that the company will focus on the overall trends, plan from a holistic perspective, and start with key areas, aiming to achieve distinct characteristics, leadership in high-end markets, innovation-driven development, as well as improved quality and efficiency. For example, the production capacity of polyolefins in China continues to expand; it is estimated that the total annual capacity will reach 70 million tons by 2022, leading to further overcapacity and intensified market competition. However, the demand for polyolefin products remains strong, and in the future the company will continue to develop high-end, diversified, and customized new products.