GE signs its 32nd gasification technology licensing agreement in China
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Atlanta, Georgia, United States (February 19, 2008) — The coal-based chemical products project in Tongzi County, Guizhou Province, China, has chosen GE Energy’s gasification technology, marking GE’s 32nd successful licensing agreement for gasification technology in China. Guizhou Jinchili Chemical Co., Ltd. will use GE’s gasification technology to produce syngas, and utilize this syngas to manufacture chemical products at the site of the project. “Companies across China want to use local resources efficiently to produce products,” said John Lavelle, General Manager of GE Energy’s Global Gasification Business. “We are very pleased that Guizhou Jinchì Chemical has chosen GE’s proven gasification technology to utilize local coal resources for the production of chemical products.” ” Since the mid-1970s, GE Energy has signed 32 licensing agreements for gasification technology in China, 23 of which are currently in commercial operation. In these projects, over 90% of the gasification units are manufactured locally in China.
I wonder why they didn’t choose to use the multi-nozzle water-coal slurry gasification technology developed domestically Perhaps the technical maturity in the domestic market is not sufficient.
I believe that developing coal chemical industries in southwestern China, such as in provinces like Yunnan and Guizhou, has certain positive aspects; compared to Inner Mongolia, this region boasts an abundance of water resources.
These 32 types of gasification should not be limited to coal gasification only; does it include the gasification of oil and natural gas as well?
Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with multi-nozzle technology; it’s just that when the degree of localization increases, people start to think it’s unreliable. And that’s indeed the case. Localization is certainly important, but we also need to put more effort into improving quality. In this way, not only can it be adopted domestically, but other countries will also be interested in using our technology...
It seems that the promotion of domestic technologies isn’t strong enough...
Recent progress in domestic nozzle technology: The multi-nozzle opposed-flow bed gasification furnace that has already been **validated now allows for the use of not only water-coal slurry as feed, but also dry coal powder. A pilot plant with a capacity of 100 tons of coal per day has been built, which corresponds to an annual capacity of 30,000 tons; this provides the technical foundation for commercial-scale operations (2,000–3,000 tons per day). Significant progress has been made in recent years in the research and development of advanced domestic coal gasification technologies. The four-nozzle water-coal slurry fluidized bed gasification technology is currently undergoing industrial demonstration, with industrial operation tests on a scale of 1,000 tons completed by 2005.
How many factories are currently using the multi-nozzle water-coal slurry gasification technology developed domestically in China? How much cheaper are the technology transfer fees compared to those in foreign countries?
Everyone should not focus only on the technology transfer fees; when considering the total investment, the multi-nozzle technology requires a higher investment than the Texaco technology, as there are three additional burners and three extra feeding systems needed. These valves, instruments, and controls are not cheap, and the piping work is also complicated. The Tongzi project had its contract signed last year; it is a joint venture between Chitianhua and Guizhou Jinyuan Group, with Hualu being responsible for the design of the gasification part.
Could any expert tell me about all the gasifiers that GE has transferred in China to date? It would be great if information on the manufacturers, number of units, specifications of the gasifiers, pressure levels, and coal processing capacity could also be provided. Thank you in advance