12 sets of DMTO technology developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences have been put into operation, generating a total output value of 500 billion yuan
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Methanol-to-olefins is a key core technology for producing ethylene and propylene from coal. The methanol-to-olefins (DMTO) technology developed by the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics was the first in the world to undergo industrial trials and be put into commercial use, resulting in a set of technologies that are leading at the international level. Since 2014, continuous progress has been made in the commercialization of achievements and the development of new technologies. DMTO and DMTO-Ⅱ have newly signed 6 technology licensing agreements, put 12 units into operation, and generated a cumulative output value of nearly 500 billion yuan. A new generation of catalysts and the third-generation methanol-to-olefins (DMTO-III) technology have been developed. The catalysts have been put into industrial use in 4 production facilities, while for DMTO-III, technology licensing agreements have been signed for 5 industrial plants with an annual output capacity of 1 million tons of olefins, and construction of these plants has already begun. DMTO technology and its continuous development have contributed to the rapid establishment and growth of China’s coal-to-olefins industry, effectively facilitating the optimization of the structure of this industry. It holds great significance for achieving coordinated development between the petrochemical and coal chemical industries as well as for ensuring energy security.
In 2014, the world’s first set of DMTO-II industrial plants with an annual capacity of 600,000 tons for producing olefins was successfully put into operation in Pucheng, Shaanxi. In 2020, Ningxia Baofeng Group signed contracts for the technical licensing of 5 sets of DMTO-III industrial plants with an annual capacity of 1 million tons each. Responsible party: Institute of Clean Energy Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics)
In 2014, the world’s first set of DMTO-II industrial plants with an annual capacity of 600,000 tons for producing olefins was successfully put into operation in Pucheng, Shaanxi. In 2020, Ningxia Baofeng Group signed contracts for the technical licensing of 5 sets of DMTO-III industrial plants with an annual capacity of 1 million tons each. Responsible party: Institute of Clean Energy Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics)
On June 16, the contract signing ceremony for the procurement of catalysts for China’s key coal chemical project during the 11th Five-Year Plan period – the Shenhua Baotou 1.8 million tons per year methanol-to-olefins (DMTO) project – was held at the Kempinski Hotel in Dalian. Director Zhang Tao, Deputy Director Huang Xiangyang, and Deputy Director Liu Zhongmin attended the signing ceremony. The signing ceremony was presided over by Deputy Director Liu Zhongmin. On behalf of our institute, Director Zhang Tao signed the contracts for the first batch of DMTO catalysts together with Shenhua Baotou Coal Chemical Co., Ltd. and CP Group CP Energy Materials (Dalian) Co., Ltd. Through the unremitting efforts of several generations of researchers, our institute completed a 10,000-ton industrial-scale DMTO trial in Shaanxi in June 2006, bringing this achievement with independent intellectual property rights in China to the world’s leading level. In 2004, CP Group participated in the DMTO industrial trial in Shaanxi and invested in the scale-up production of DMTO catalysts at our institute. Subsequently, in November 2005, it signed a contract with our institute for the transfer of DMTO catalysts, thereby obtaining the exclusive right to produce them. The Shenhua Baotou 1.8 million-ton methanol-to-olefins (DMTO) project was built using the DMTO technology developed by our institute, and it received approval from the **National Development and Reform Commission on December 11, 2006. The construction of this set of facilities holds significant economic and strategic importance for China in comprehensively utilizing coal resources and diversifying the sources of low-carbon olefins. The signing of the procurement contract for the DMTO catalyst represents another important step forward for China’s coal chemical industry.
On June 16, the contract signing ceremony for the procurement of catalysts for China’s key coal chemical project during the 11th Five-Year Plan period – the Shenhua Baotou 1.8 million tons per year methanol-to-olefins (DMTO) project – was held at the Kempinski Hotel in Dalian. Director Zhang Tao, Deputy Director Huang Xiangyang, and Deputy Director Liu Zhongmin attended the signing ceremony. The signing ceremony was presided over by Deputy Director Liu Zhongmin. On behalf of our institute, Director Zhang Tao signed the contracts for the first batch of DMTO catalysts together with Shenhua Baotou Coal Chemical Co., Ltd. and CP Group CP Energy Materials (Dalian) Co., Ltd. Through the unremitting efforts of several generations of researchers, our institute completed a 10,000-ton industrial-scale DMTO trial in Shaanxi in June 2006, bringing this achievement with independent intellectual property rights in China to the world’s leading level. In 2004, CP Group participated in the DMTO industrial trial in Shaanxi and invested in the scale-up production of DMTO catalysts at our institute. Subsequently, in November 2005, it signed a contract with our institute for the transfer of DMTO catalysts, thereby obtaining the exclusive right to produce them. The Shenhua Baotou 1.8 million-ton methanol-to-olefins (DMTO) project was built using the DMTO technology developed by our institute, and it received approval from the **National Development and Reform Commission on December 11, 2006. The construction of this set of facilities holds significant economic and strategic importance for China in comprehensively utilizing coal resources and diversifying the sources of low-carbon olefins. The signing of the procurement contract for the DMTO catalyst represents another important step forward for China’s coal chemical industry.
MTO is the international term used to refer to the process of producing olefins from methanol, which is short for methanol to Olefin； DMTO is a patented proprietary technology of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics; it is also a technology for producing olefins from methanol. The letter D stands for dimethyl ether/Dalian/double – the initial research focused on the production of olefins from dimethyl ether, but later improvements were made using methanol as the starting material. The process starting with methanol involves first converting methanol into dimethyl ether, and then converting dimethyl ether into olefins; hence the use of the term \"double\" ； Since the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics is located in Dalian, most people think that this D refers to Dalian.
DMTO is a technology that uses coal or natural gas as raw materials instead of oil to produce ethylene and propylene. Ethylene and propylene are the most important chemical products in the world today, and they require a large amount of oil for their production. Ethylene and propylene produced using DMTO technology are more competitive in the market than those derived from petroleum. The successful development of industrial DMTO technology is of great significance for reducing China’s oil imports and opening up new avenues for the country’s olefin industry. It also marks a shift in China’s methanol processing capacity, with facilities moving from the 10,000-ton scale to large-scale plants of 1 million tons or more. The development and application of the DMTO integrated technology are of great significance, both economically and strategically, for China’s development of a new type of coal chemical industry and the realization of its energy strategy aimed at replacing petroleum. The world’s first commercial plant of million-ton scale using DMTO technology – the Shenhua Baotou project, which converts 1.8 million tons of methanol into 600,000 tons of olefins – was completed and put into operation in 2010.
The industrial technology for producing low-carbon olefins from methanol (DMTO) overcomes the technical barriers associated with producing olefins from coal; it serves as a bridge between coal chemical industry and petrochemical industry, providing strong technical support for both sectors. The industrialization technology of DMTO can alleviate the shortage of naphtha resources in China and diversify the raw materials for low-carbon olefin production. Against the backdrop of the current shortage of oil resources, this technology holds great strategic significance for realizing China’s \"oil substitution\" strategy and ensuring the country’s energy security.
China’s increasing dependence on imported crude oil has restricted the development of olefin production via petroleum routes. In contrast, the methanol-to-olefins technology utilizes China’s relatively abundant resources as raw materials, giving it significant advantages; as a result, it has seen rapid growth since the beginning of the new century. In this process, the integrated industrial technology for producing low-carbon olefins from methanol (DMTO), independently developed by the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, stands out significantly and **has accelerated this process**. Thanks to its significant contributions to technological innovation and its great success in industrialization, the DMTO technology was awarded the **First Prize for Technical Invention in 2014.