Review and Outlook of Coal (Syngas)-Based Ethylene Glycol Production in China in 2015

Thread Content

Review and Outlook on Coal (Syngas)-Based Ethylene Glycol Production in China in 2015 Author/Source: Date: 2015-12-18 Clicks: 9 Review and Outlook on Coal (Syngas)-Based Ethylene Glycol Production in China in 2015 As of December 2015, China had 10 coal (syngas)-based ethylene glycol production projects that were either in operation or had completed trial operations, resulting in an overall production capacity of 1.7 million tons per year of ethylene glycol. Among them, in 2015, three new units – Xinjiang Tianye Phase II, Ordos Xinhang Energy, and Anhui Huaihua – were successfully commissioned, bringing the total production capacity to 600,000 tons per year. Regarding other coal (syngas)-based ethylene glycol production projects that are under construction, in the preliminary stage, or planned, Yajia Consulting has conducted a thorough analysis of various factors such as the strength of the project owners, the progress of approvals, the current status of construction, downstream plans, and available resources. It was determined that 31 of these projects have a greater than 50% chance of being completed and put into operation. Together with the 10 projects that are already in operation or have successfully completed trial runs, these projects will result in an annual production capacity of 10.26 million tons of CTMEG by 2020. The map of China’s coal (syngas)-based ethylene glycol production projects in 2015 is as follows. The plants that were in operation achieved a series of breakthroughs in terms of performance in 2015: Danhua Technology’s semi-annual report for 2015 showed that Tongliao Jinmei produced 72,100 tons of ethylene glycol and 29,100 tons of oxalic acid during the first half of 2015, with an operating load of around 90%. Performance has seen a significant improvement compared to 2012–2014. On November 10, 2015, the 200,000-ton/year industrial demonstration plant for producing ethylene glycol from syngas at Sinopec Hubei Fertilizer was completed and put into operation. The raw materials CO and H2 for this device come from the syngas surplus in Shell’s existing coal gasification-based ammonia synthesis plant, and it utilizes Sinopec’s independently developed technology for producing ethylene glycol via the syngas oxalate route. The project was successfully commissioned in March 2014. On November 3, 2015, Henan Energy and Chemical Group held a meeting to share experiences in achieving full production capacity for the Anyang ethylene glycol project. Since its commissioning in November 2012, the ethylene glycol plant in Anyang has gradually increased its production capacity to around 550 tons per day, with the quality rate of its products exceeding 98%. The growth in China’s CTMEG production capacity from 2013 to 2020 is shown in the figure below. Research by Yaha Consulting indicates that 2016 will mark the beginning of a surge in CTMEG production capacity in China, with 10 new projects adding up to 1.66 million tons per year of ethylene glycol production capacity. http://img.yf116.cn/image/img/20151218/910513305154.jpg http://www.nmtech.com.cn/*nwen_mhg_xx.asp?id=174226