All four core inlet and outlet heat exchangers for Phase 4 of Ningxia Baofeng Energy’s project have been hoisted into place

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On March 25, good news came from the site of Ningxia Baofeng Energy’s Phase 4 project: all four core heat exchangers for inlet and outlet were lifted into place, with a total weight of 1,268 tons. This means that breakthrough progress has been made in the installation of the project’s core heat exchange system, accelerating the path toward its subsequent commissioning. These four devices are by no means ordinary gadgets. Among them, there are two sets of 1# inlet and outlet heat exchangers A and B; each unit weighs 355.82 tons and has a length of 29 meters ； The other two sets are the 2# inlet and outlet heat exchangers A and B; each one weighs 278 tons and has a length of 27 meters. All four units have a diameter of 2.7 meters, and just by looking at these figures one can see how difficult it is. To lift these massive structures into place with precision, the project team adopted a dual-crane operation plan involving a 1600-ton crawler crane for the main lifting and a 500-ton crawler crane for assisting with the process. This plan wasn’t thought of on the spot; the team carefully planned the lifting positions and the coordination among team members in advance, anticipating all possible problems. During the construction process, the sandstormy weather in spring and the limited space for working at heights posed many challenges to the team. But there are always more solutions than problems; the project adopted a method of carrying out lifting operations during the day and working overtime at night to weld the base connections, thereby minimizing the time gaps between different stages of work. “During lifting during the day, it is necessary to pay attention to wind conditions and the stability of the equipment, while at night, when welding, quality must be ensured. ”A technician on site said that everyone was determined to race against time and ensure quality. Through continuous efforts, the entire lifting task was completed four days ahead of schedule. This is not common in the construction of large-scale chemical plants, especially during periods with frequent sandstorms in spring. The total investment in Baofeng Energy’s Phase 4 project is 20.5 billion yuan. It is located in the Ningdong Linhe Industrial Park and includes a coal-to-olefins plant with an annual production capacity of 500,000 tons, along with supporting facilities for an EVA plant with an annual output of 250,000 tons and a polypropylene plant with an annual output of 300,000 tons. The project is expected to be completed and put into operation by the end of 2026. It is worth noting that at the end of January this year, the first gasifier for this project was successfully lifted into place. That gasifier weighs 520 tons and is the core equipment in the coal-to-olefins process. With the installation of these four heat exchangers completed, the project has entered the final stage of installing the core equipment. For Baofeng Energy, once the fourth-phase project comes online, the company will gain an additional 500,000 tons per year of coal-to-olefins production capacity, further solidifying its leading position in the global coal-to-olefins industry. At the same time, the project employs an innovative carbon reduction technology that combines green hydrogen with coal chemical processing, thereby significantly reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions in production. On March 16th, Baofeng Energy’s market value exceeded 250 billion yuan, and its net profit attributable to the parent company in 2025 reached 11.35 billion yuan, representing a year-on-year increase of 79.09%. From the centralized commencement of construction in April 2025 to the gradual installation of key equipment at present, this major project at the Ningdong facility is gradually turning from a blueprint into reality. As planned, the project will be completed and put into operation in the fourth quarter of this year, thereby injecting new momentum into Ningxia’s modern coal chemical industry.