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At 9:00 on February 23, 2025, the 800,000-ton per year acetic acid carbon utilization project of Hebei Jiantao Energy Development Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Hebei Jiantao” or “the Company”) came online. This means that the carbon dioxide captured by enterprises can be fully utilized, with all of it being used as raw material for the production of chemical products, thus forming a complete closed loop of \"carbon emission–capture–utilization\". This is the first time of its kind in China’s chemical industry. This carbon cycle model not only provides a \"Chinese solution\" for global carbon emission reduction, but also enables those countries that were once major emitters to make a remarkable transformation by building on it. At 9 a.m. on February 23, in the control room of Hebei Jiantao, a staff member clicked the mouse, and the start button for the air separation unit appeared on the computer screen; thus, the project for producing 800,000 tons of acetic acid per year came online. At the project site, which involves an investment of 2.3 billion yuan and covers an area of over 160 mu, pipeline equipment is spread out in all directions, with main towers standing 50 to 60 meters tall; from a distance, it resembles a castle built of metal. At the moment the command is given, the entire device is activated instantly, and a magical chemical reaction begins. Yin Zheng, the company’s general manager, displayed a production process diagram on the large screen in the control room and said, “As you can see, within these complex pipelines, carbon dioxide captured from coal combustion gases is broken down and transformed, eventually combining with methanol to produce acetic acid, thus transforming industrial waste gas into a chemical product.” ” With the commissioning of the project, the carbon dioxide captured by the enterprise can be fully utilized, and it is used as a key raw material to produce acetic acid products, thus establishing a complete closed loop of \"carbon emission–capture–utilization\". This is the first time of its kind in China’s chemical industry. “Together with the existing 600,000 tons, we will have a acetic acid production capacity of 1.4 million tons, which can absorb 350,000 tons of carbon per year. ”Yin Zheng said that this is equivalent to planting trees on more than 30,000 mu of land per year. Trees \"absorb carbon\" from the atmosphere; where does the carbon dioxide in this \"forest factory\" come from? To the east of the Jiantao plant in Hebei, there stand two huge silver spherical tanks with a diameter of about 12 meters each; their volume is nearly 1,000 cubic meters. These are gas storage tanks used to supply carbon dioxide to the acetic acid production line. This carbon dioxide comes from the coal-fired flue gas generated during corporate production processes. In the past, after meeting ultra-low emission standards, the flue gas would be discharged directly, resulting in the release of large amounts of carbon dioxide as well. Now, on the west side of the factory complex, three operation towers, each about 28 meters tall, are arranged in a row. “This is a set of carbon capture devices; its activation is like putting a ‘large mask’ on the chimney. ”Cui Xuejun, deputy general manager of Hebei Jiantao, said that this facility, which required an investment of 200 million yuan, was developed by Tsinghua University and is currently the largest coal-fired flue gas carbon capture project in China’s chemical industry. As the smoke passes through this “large mask,” carbon dioxide is automatically captured. Data from February 23 showed that the device captured 185 tons of carbon dioxide on that day. It is estimated that at full capacity, the enterprise can capture 200,000 tons of carbon per year. The wonder of plant photosynthesis lies in the fact that it can not only capture carbon, but also use carbon dioxide as a nutrient to synthesize the organic compounds needed for its own growth. In the “forest factory,” carbon dioxide can also be turned into a valuable resource, transformed into raw materials needed for production. At the Jiantao laboratory in Hebei, the reporter saw acetic acid products in glass bottles, transparent like water. Acetic acid may sound unfamiliar, but it is present everywhere in our lives – from fabrics to sports shoes, from medicines to adhesives used in photovoltaic panels. “With a production capacity of 1.4 million tons of acetic acid, we are able to fully utilize the carbon dioxide we capture, as well as address the challenges related to the utilization of carbon captured by nearby enterprises. ”Yin Zheng said. From a major carbon emitter to a green producer, Hebei Jiantao has achieved a remarkable transformation. “Currently, carbon utilization is one of the main challenges in achieving the ‘dual carbon’ goals. ”Li Junhua, a professor at the School of Environment at Tsinghua University, said that it is difficult for China’s energy structure to undergo fundamental changes in the short term. Driven by the need for green development, some companies have begun to explore carbon capture, but most of them can only store the captured carbon, as there are no viable applications that would allow them to turn this carbon into valuable resources. It is therefore crucial to expand more carbon utilization scenarios. The Hebei Jiantao project represents an important effort by a domestic enterprise in the field of carbon recycling, offering a \"Chinese solution\" for global carbon emission reduction.