Discussion on the Development Trends of Coal Gasification

Thread Content

2 Bu Xuepeng, head of the Gasification Research Institute at the Beijing Research Institute of China Shenhua Coal-to-Oil Chemicals Co., Ltd., said recently that gasification is a key technology for modern coal chemical industries. The further development of our current coal chemical industry relies heavily on gasification; Shenhua Group has established a specialized company for coal-to-oil chemical production, and it has made significant progress in this field. The first is the direct liquefaction of coal into oil, the second is indirect liquefaction, as well as the production of hydrogen from coal, chemicals from coal, natural gas from coal, and combined heat and power generation, among others. As the industry develops, new technologies will emerge to support its further growth. When talking about why gasification needs to be developed? Bu Xuepeng said that coal gasification is the key link and core technology in coal-to-oil and coal chemical processing ； China has abundant coal resources ； Gas is easier to transport and use than coal ； It is more efficient than using coal directly ； It can reduce environmental pollution, such as by achieving a higher desulfurization rate ； It is easier to capture CO2. It is reported that Shenhua Group is the world’s largest coal production and sales company. Shenhua has four main business segments: coal production, railways and ports, power generation, and coal-to-oil and coal chemical processing. The Shenhua Group attaches great importance to the development of these industries related to coal-to-oil and coal chemical processing. Bu Xuepeng also stated that the development of coal gasification involves the following ten trends: 1. Larger-scale units with a capacity of 2,000–5,000 t/d per furnace ； 2. Pressure: 4.0~9.0 Mpa ； 3. Wide coal type adaptability range or specificity ； 4. Petroleum coke, biomass, and waste as raw materials ； 5. Improve reliability and availability ； 6. High carbon conversion rate and high gasification efficiency ； 7. Environmentally friendly ； 8. Low investment and low maintenance costs ； 9. Gas has wide applications or is used for specific purposes ； 10. Four major technical approaches – moving-bed gasification technology, fluidized-bed gasification technology, gas-flow bed gasification technology, and underground gasification technology – are developing together. Bu Xuepeng concluded by saying that the development of coal gasification technology is not limited to use in coal chemical industries; it involves a wide range of technologies. Including the technologies mentioned earlier, in summary, developing coal-related technologies can first increase the added value of coal; it can promote the growth of the coal-to-oil and coal chemical industries, improve the efficiency of converting coal into energy, reduce environmental pollution. The steel and metallurgy industries require many materials, and from gasification to subsequent synthesis processes, numerous advanced materials are needed. Furthermore, our gasification plants feature many large-scale facilities weighing several thousand tons, and the development of this industry relies on highly advanced equipment manufacturing, including technologies related to automatic control and new energy sources, as well as methods for reducing carbon dioxide emissions.