Xinjiang Jino Energy Chemical Co., Ltd.’s 1.2 million tons per year coal classification and transformation project has entered the stage of preparation for approval

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Recently, the 1.2 million tons per year coal classification and conversion project of Xinjiang Jino Energy Chemical Co., Ltd. entered the stage of preparation for approval. With a total investment of 4.259 billion yuan, this project relies on the coal hydrogenation pyrolysis technology developed independently by SNOW Energy; it represents the first domestic implementation of this technology on a scale of one million tons. The project uses low-rank coal from the local Nukenniwatge minerals as raw material. Low-rank coal has a high volatility content, making it difficult to utilize, and traditional technologies struggle to handle it effectively. The process employed by Jin’ao enables rapid hydrothermal pyrolysis of coal powder and hydrogen under medium temperatures (800–1000°C) and high pressures (5–10 MPa). The entire process consists of three steps: the raw coal is pyrolyzed to produce three types of products – pyrolysis gas, light aromatics, and semi-coke – thereby achieving separation of the gas, liquid, and solid phases. After being purified through low-temperature methanol washing, the pyrolysis gas enters a membrane separation unit. The purified recycled hydrogen is divided into two streams: one stream undergoes PSA treatment to achieve a purity of 99.9%, and this hydrogen is then transported via pipelines to Xinjiang Sanchang Environmental Protection Energy Co., Ltd. located within the industrial park. This company launched its 800,000 tons per year coal tar resource utilization project last September, and thus has a steady demand for hydrogen sources. Another portion of the cyclical hydrogen is pressurized and returned to the hydrothermal cracking unit, forming a closed loop. Light aromatic hydrocarbons are distilled to produce chemicals such as pure benzene, pure naphthalene, pure pyrene, and miscellaneous oils. According to the technology developers, in the aromatic products produced by this process, benzene and naphthalene account for up to 80%, and their boiling points are below 270°C. Such high-value fine chemicals can extend the industrial chain of high-end materials. The semi-coke enters the gasification unit, where it undergoes processes such as gasification, CO conversion, and low-temperature methanol washing to produce the hydrogen feedstock required for hydrothermal pyrolysis. The entire process forms a complete material circulation system, with each type of intermediate product being consumed by the next processing step. The advantage of this technology lies in its integration of the features of both coal-to-gas and coal-to-oil pathways. Traditional coal chemical industries often have to choose one option only: either producing oil or producing gas. Through the use of hydrogen and precise control of reaction conditions, hydrothermal pyrolysis technology can achieve a methane yield of 300–500 standard cubic meters per ton of dry coal, while also producing light aromatic hydrocarbons with high added value. SNOW Group has been investing in the development of this technology for over 10 years; in 2024, it completed the upgrade of an industrial demonstration facility with a capacity of 400 tons per day in Dalaat Banner, Inner Mongolia.