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Introduction to Coal Chemical Industry Knowledge 1. Overview and Classification of Coal Chemical Industry 1.1 Definition Coal chemical industry refers to the industry that uses coal as a raw material and, through chemical processing, converts it into gaseous, liquid, or solid fuels or semi-finished products, which are then further processed into a range of chemical products or petroleum fuels. It is an important part of the chemical industry, and it plays a significant role in optimizing the energy structure and ensuring energy security. 1.2 Classification and Current Status of Coal Chemical Industry in China Based on technical approaches and development stages, China’s coal chemical industry can be divided into two main categories: Traditional coal chemical industry: Key projects include coal coking, coal-based synthetic ammonia production (used for manufacturing fertilizers), and coal-based calcium carbide production. Current situation and issues: Traditional coal chemical technologies are mature, but they face overcapacity and environmental protection pressures. Taking synthetic ammonia as an example, China’s production volume remains around 50 million tons on an annual basis, making it a major producer; however, the raw material structure is characterized by a dominance of coal. Meanwhile, in the PVC sector, the industrial structure is undergoing significant adjustments to cope with market and cost competition. New (modern) coal chemical industry: Key projects: Focused on the production of clean energy and high-end chemical products, these mainly include coal-to-oil (direct liquefaction/indirect liquefaction), coal-to-natural gas, coal-to-olefins, coal-to-aromatics, coal-to-ethylene glycol, etc. Current situation and issues: China has developed the world’s largest modern coal chemical industry with the most complete industrial chain, accounting for over 80% of the global total in this sector. In the first half of 2025, the total output of the four major modern coal chemical industries – coal-to-oil, coal-to-gas, coal-to-olefins, and coal-to-ethylene glycol – reached 17.416 million tons, representing a 13.1% increase on a year-on-year basis. The capacity utilization rate was 87.1%, and profits amounted to 8.02 billion yuan, a 86.9% increase compared to the previous year, indicating strong growth momentum. The energy \"golden triangle\" formed by Ningdong in Ningxia, Yulin in Shaanxi, and Ordos in Inner Mongolia has become a hub for industrial development, with the output value of its key industries exceeding 500 billion yuan. 2. Coal chemical technology and applications: The core of coal chemistry lies in converting coal, a complex hydrocarbon, into cleaner and more readily usable forms of energy or chemical raw materials through a series of chemical and physical reactions. 2.1 Core technical approach: Coal gasification technology: This is the cornerstone and foundation of modern coal chemical industry. Coal reacts with gasifying agents (oxygen, water vapor) under high temperature and pressure to be converted into syngas, which is primarily composed of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Subsequent processes such as coal-to-oil, coal-to-olefins, and coal-to-natural gas all rely on this step. Coal liquefaction technology: Direct liquefaction: Under high temperature and pressure, along with the action of a catalyst, hydrogenation is used to convert coal directly into liquid hydrocarbons, which are then used to produce gasoline, diesel, etc. Indirect liquefaction: First, the coal is completely gasified into syngas, which is then converted into liquid fuels and chemicals using technologies such as F-T synthesis. Coal-based chemicals technology: Utilizing syngas produced by coal gasification, basic chemical raw materials such as olefins (ethylene, propylene) and aromatics (benzene, toluene, xylene) are manufactured through technologies like methanol synthesis, MTO (methanol to olefins), and MTA (methanol to aromatics). By 2025, domestic methanol production will reach 92.3355 million tons, while the apparent consumption volume will be 106.4484 million tons; the production capacity will have reached 116 million tons. Coal coking technology: Coal is dry-distilled at high temperatures in an air-free environment to produce coke (used in steel manufacturing), coal tar (from which various aromatic chemicals are extracted), and coke oven gas (which can be used as fuel or as a raw material for the chemical industry). 2.2 Application Areas and Current Status: Assurance of basic chemical raw materials: At present, coal remains the primary source for ammonia synthesis in China, with coal-based ammonia production accounting for over 80% of the total capacity. In the PVC sector, as the production capacity structure is adjusted, it is expected that by the end of 2025 the total production capacity from the calcium carbide method (coal-based) and the ethylene method in China will exceed 29.72 million tons. The share of production capacity from the ethylene method is gradually increasing. This shows that the coal chemical industry still plays a \"stabilizing role\" in ensuring **food security (through fertilizers) and the supply of basic materials**. High-efficiency cleaning and utilization technology: With technological advancements, the core advantage of new coal chemical processes lies in their high efficiency and clean utilization characteristics. The industry is currently accelerating its transition toward higher-end, more diversified, and lower-carbon development, with a focus on producing high-value products such as coal-based high-end polyolefins. At the same time, efforts should be made to promote the integrated development of coal chemical industry with technologies such as green electricity, green hydrogen, energy storage, and carbon dioxide capture, utilization, and storage, in order to address the carbon constraints associated with the \"dual carbon\" goals. Through advanced gasification, purification, synthesis, and pollutant control technologies, new coal chemical processes can significantly reduce the pollution caused by the direct combustion of coal, raising the efficiency of coal utilization to new levels. 3. In summary, coal chemical industry, particularly the new type of coal chemical industry, is an inevitable choice for China given its energy profile of abundant coal, scarce oil, and limited gas resources. Data from 2025 show that China not only has the largest scale and the most complete industrial chain in the global modern coal chemical industry, **but also sees a significant improvement in the quality and efficiency of its operations. It is not only the direction for the upgrading of traditional industries, but also an important means to achieve clean and efficient utilization of coal and to ensure **energy strategic security. In the future, as technological innovation and the transition toward a green, low-carbon economy advance, coal chemical industry will play an even more important role in ensuring **energy security, reducing dependence on foreign oil, and supplying high-end chemical products.