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Paving the way for clean and efficient coal utilization – A record of the development and application of new coal gasification technology at Shandong Energy Group Lunan Chemical Company. Author/Source: Sinochem New Network. Date: April 19, 2023. Clicks: 48. On April 11, China’s first pressurized coal slurry gasification unit celebrated its 30th anniversary at Shandong Energy Group Lunan Chemical Company. Construction of this facility began in 1990, and it was completed on April 11, 1993, with a successful trial run upon its first operation, marking the beginning of the development of modern coal chemical industry in China. At present, thanks to 30 years of introduction, digestion, and innovation in new coal gasification technology, our country has reached the international leading level. Coal gasification technology is facing constraints; independent innovation is urgent. Coal gasification is a key technology for the clean and efficient utilization of coal. In the 1970s, Texaco’s pressurized gasification of water-coal slurry was put into industrial use, driving the development of large-scale coal gasification technologies; at that time, fixed-bed gas generation technology was widely used in China’s coal chemical industry. In 1983, Shandong Lunan Fertilizer Factory, the predecessor of Lunan Chemical, introduced the Texaco water-coal slurry gasification furnace technology, which was the fifth such system in the world and the first in China at that time. Although gasification technology has been introduced, its ownership is monopolized by foreign companies. According to incomplete statistics, from the 1980s to the early 2000s, the patent licensing fees alone for foreign gasification technologies introduced across China amounted to over 300 million dollars, which severely hindered the development of domestic technologies. Breaking foreign technological monopolies; key indicators at the international leading level. During the “Ninth Five-Year Plan” period, the former Yankuang Group and East China University of Science and Technology jointly developed a coal gasification technology with independent intellectual property rights. Through laboratory tests and cold-model experiments, the theoretical framework of this technology as well as the flow field model of the gasifier were initially established. In 2000, they collaborated with China Tianchen Company to complete the pilot test of the multi-nozzle opposed water-coal slurry gasification technology, achieving satisfactory results. On July 21, 2005, the kiloton-scale industrial demonstration unit for the new multi-nozzle opposed water-coal slurry gasification technology achieved successful feed initiation on its first attempt. On May 31, 2006, at the acceptance meeting for the “863” project organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the evaluation panel unanimously concluded that the successful industrialization of multi-nozzle water-coal slurry gasification marked China’s first possession of a large-scale coal gasification technology with independent intellectual property rights, representing an important milestone in the history of coal gasification development in China. With the support of scientific and technological programs such as “973” and “863”, shock-cooling multi-nozzle opposed water-coal slurry gasification technologies capable of processing 2,000 tons, 3,000 tons, and 4,000 tons of coal per day per furnace have successively completed industrial demonstrations and been put into commercial use, overcoming key technical barriers related to the large-scale operation, high efficiency, and long-term stable performance of water-coal slurry gasification systems. On September 27, 2021, at the appraisal meeting for scientific and technological achievements on the development and industrial demonstration of ultra-large-scale water-coal slurry gasification technology capable of processing 4,000 tons of coal per day per furnace, organized by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation, the experts present agreed that this project had established the world’s largest industrial water-coal slurry gasification facility of its kind, with its key technical parameters reaching international leading levels. Expanding the scope of technical applications to create national brand names. In order to facilitate industrial application both domestically and internationally, Shandong Yankuang Guotuo Technology Co., Ltd., which is part of Shandong Energy Group, has collaborated with the Clean Coal Research Institute at East China University of Science and Technology to continuously improve multi-nozzle gasification technology. This has led to the development of multi-nozzle opposed semi-waste-boiler cooling processes as well as multi-nozzle opposed dry coal powder gasification technologies. Design packages for gasification processes suitable for various feedstocks such as petroleum coke and residue oil have also been developed, thereby expanding the range of raw materials that can be used in gasification systems and turning by-products into valuable resources. By integrating gasification technology with petrochemical refining projects, a stable and low-cost source of hydrogen can be provided for these projects, further expanding the applications of gasification technology. To date, the multi-nozzle opposed pressurized water-coal slurry gasification technology, independently developed by Shandong Energy Group in collaboration with East China University of Science and Technology, has been installed in 204 units both domestically and internationally. It has been successfully applied in companies such as CNOOC, Shenhua Group, Dalian Hengli, Wanhua Chemical, Henan Xinlianxin, and Hualu Hengsheng. A contract for technology licensing and the design of process software packages was also signed with Valero Energy Corporation in the United States.