[Haichuan Chemical Salary News] The first unit of Daqing Petrochemical’s refinery restructuring, transformation and upgrading project has been successfully put into operation

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According to a report from Northeast Net on October 29 (reporter Xie Wenyen, correspondent Lang Aidi), recent investigations at the refining plant of Daqing Petrochemical Company revealed that the newly built 90,000-ton/year MTBE production facility has begun to produce qualified products, marking the successful commissioning of the first unit in Daqing Petrochemical’s project aimed at restructuring and upgrading its refining operations. MTBE is the abbreviation for methyl tert-butyl ether; it is a colorless, transparent liquid that serves as an additive for gasoline to increase its octane rating. Its chemical oxygen content is much lower than that of methanol, which facilitates engine warming and fuel savings; it also has a low evaporation latent heat, which is beneficial for cold starts. It is commonly used in the formulation of lead-free gasoline and low-lead fuels. As an additive for high-octane gasoline, it is widely used around the world. It not only effectively increases the octane rating of gasoline but also improves vehicle performance, reduces the CO content in exhaust gases, and lowers the production costs of gasoline. In our country, for the foreseeable future, for gasoline products, quality will remain the key factor determining their competitiveness. It is understood that once the restructuring, transformation, and upgrading project for Daqing Petrochemical’s refining operations is fully completed, the quality of gasoline will meet the standards of Phase VIB. The ratio of diesel to gasoline will drop to 0.74. This will enable an annual increase in the production of 180,000 tons of propylene, 260,000 tons of liquefied gas, 220,000 tons of toluene, and 280,000 tons of xylene – all of which are essential chemical raw materials. It is expected that this will result in an annual increase in sales revenue of 15.9 billion yuan, as well as additional tax payments of over 3 billion yuan. Such developments are of great significance for establishing a petrochemical industry base, advancing Heilongjiang Province’s strategy of converting oil resources into chemical products, facilitating the transformation of Daqing into a city based on non-oil industries, supporting the development of the Harbin-Changchun urban cluster, and contributing to the comprehensive revitalization of the old industrial regions in the Northeast. With the development of the domestic economy, automobile sales continue to rise, and there will be strong demand for gasoline products. The 90,000 tons per year MTBE plant is a new facility as part of the Daqing Petrochemical’s refinery structure adjustment and optimization project; it is designed to improve the quality of gasoline produced by the refinery and to meet the requirements for higher quality gasoline and diesel intended for use in vehicles compliant with National VI standards. The refinery of Daqing Petrochemical Company originally had about 290,000 tons per year of C4 resources; these C4 products were sold as fuel, resulting in waste of these resources. The new MTBE and alkylation units enable the deeper processing of C4, facilitating the comprehensive utilization of raw materials. The high-octane MTBE and alkylated oils produced can improve the structure of the gasoline products manufactured by the refinery, thus meeting environmental requirements. It can also reduce the amount of MTBE supplied from outside, lower gasoline processing costs, and enhance the competitiveness of enterprises. The main body of the MTBE plant covers an area of 5,200 m2. It uses butane from the gas fractionation unit and purchased methanol as raw materials to produce MTBE; the butane obtained as a by-product is then used as a raw material for the alkylation unit. The reaction unit employs the mixed-bed pre-reaction coupled with catalytic distillation technology provided by Kerry Environmental Protection Technology Company, while the MTBE desulfurization unit uses the extractive distillation technology provided by Hebei Jingzhi Technology Company. Upon implementation, this project will meet the requirements of the \"Daqing Petrochemical VI: Upgrade of the Quality of Automotive Gasoline and Diesel\" plan, optimize the overall production process, improve the product mix, reduce environmental pollution, and lower the company’s production costs, thereby bringing about significant economic and social benefits.