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An Overview of Technological Innovation Achievements in the Coal Chemical Industry in Recent Years. Author/Source: Date: 2016-06-01. Clicks: 15. Either innovate or perish – this adage by American innovation expert Bill Sabritto seems to be tailor-made for China’s coal chemical industry today. In recent years, amid extremely unfavorable conditions such as increasing environmental constraints, unstable policies, a rapid drop in oil prices that reduced cost advantages, growing criticism from various parties, and a slowdown in investment in such projects, journalists have found that in the face of these challenges, China’s coal chemical industry has not backed down but rather faced them head-on. Continuous technological innovation has solved one problem after another that hindered the healthy development of the industry, serving as the backbone supporting the growth of China’s coal chemical sector. There have been many innovations in coal conversion technologies. On March 4, 2016, Bao Xinhe, a deputy to the National People’s Congress and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences who participated in the national “**” event, revealed that the team he leads has creatively developed a technology for obtaining low-carbon olefins through a highly selective one-step reaction involving syngas. This news immediately drew tremendous attention from the chemical, academic, and energy communities both at home and abroad. The industry generally regards this invention as “a milestone breakthrough in the field of coal conversion” and “something that will revolutionize the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis route that has been in use for over 90 years.” Experts in the field point out that the reason for such high praise is that this technology creatively uses partially reduced composite oxides as catalysts. This catalyst possesses both the functions of a metal catalyst and a molecular sieve. During the reaction, carbon monoxide molecules are adsorbed and dissociated at the oxygen-deficient sites on the catalyst surface. Gaseous hydrogen molecules selectively react with the dissociated carbon atoms to form methylene radicals. Meanwhile, the oxygen atoms generated from the dissociation of carbon monoxide on the catalyst surface tend to react with another carbon monoxide molecule, resulting in the formation of carbon dioxide. Methylene radicals do not remain on the catalyst surface or undergo surface polymerization reactions; instead, they quickly enter the pores of the molecular sieve, where they carry out selective coupling reactions in the confined environment of those pores to produce low-carbon olefins in a directed manner. Since carbon monoxide is used in place of hydrogen to eliminate excess oxygen atoms during hydrocarbon formation, this technology eliminates the water-gas shift reaction present in the Fischer-Tropsch process, without altering the total CO2 emissions. In principle, it thus opens up a new pathway for the clean and efficient conversion of coal that requires less water and energy. According to the reporter’s understanding, innovative coal conversion technologies that have caused a sensation both domestically and internationally have emerged in large numbers in China’s coal chemical industry in recent years. On August 8, 2010, the Shenhua Baotou 600,000-ton/year methanol-to-low-carbon olefins project, which utilized the industrialization technology for converting coal into low-carbon olefins developed jointly by institutions such as the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, successfully commenced operations. This achievement enabled China’s industrialization technology in this field to surpass that of companies such as Lurgi in Germany and UOP in the United States, reaching a world-leading level. According to Liu Zhongmin, the pioneer of the technology for producing low-carbon olefins from methanol, deputy director of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, their research has continued without pause in recent years. Building on the first and second generations of technologies for producing low-carbon olefins from methanol, the researchers at the institute have successfully developed new methods such as producing p-xylene from methanol and toluene, producing p-xylene along with low-carbon olefins from methanol, manufacturing ethanol and isopropanol from propylene and acetic acid, using cobalt-based catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch oil synthesis, and producing ethanol from methanol derived from coal through dimethyl ether. In March 2013, the methanol fluidized-bed process for producing aromatics, jointly developed by Tsinghua University and Huadian Coal Industry & Chemical Group, passed the technical achievement appraisal organized by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation. The expert panel determined that “this technology has reached the internationally leading level among similar technologies.” It is also believed that this technology utilizes a catalyst to achieve efficient conversion of methanol into aromatics, as well as of light hydrocarbons into aromatics, and for the alkylation of benzene and toluene with methanol; it exhibits high selectivity for aromatics. This technology facilitates the key step in the production of aromatics from coal, namely the conversion of methanol into aromatics, and results in an industrial process for producing aromatics using a methanol fluidized bed system with fully independent intellectual property rights. The methanol conversion rate in this entire process is as high as 99.99%, with aromatics accounting for 74.47% of the output products. Among them, p-xylene accounts for over 50%. This is also the world’s first industrial technology to produce aromatics using methanol as the sole raw material, marking a new era in the diversification of aromatics feedstocks. Currently, industrial demonstration projects for the production of aromatics using coal-based methanol in fluidized bed reactors have been launched, with over 5 large-scale industrial projects in the preliminary stages. Following the introduction of the slurry-bed iron-based catalyst FTO coal-to-oil technology and its industrial application, Zhongke Synthetic Oil Technology Co., Ltd. has successfully developed a large-scale facility with a capacity of 500,000 tons per year using a single reactor. The coal-to-oil production facility with an annual capacity of one million tons, operated by Shaanxi Future Energy Chemical Co., Ltd. and put into operation in June 2015, utilizes the low-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis technology developed independently by Yankuang Group. Its production capacity of 1.14 million tons per unit facility is the highest in China. Together with the direct coal liquefaction technology developed by Shenhua Group and proven through industrial application, as well as the coal-kerosene co-refining technology developed by Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Group, China’s overall level of coal-to-oil technology is among the best in the world. As for the gasification technology, which has been of significant interest in the industry, through relentless efforts, our country has not only shaken off its dependence on foreign technologies and ended the process of introducing, digesting, and absorbing such technologies to achieve full independent innovation, but its overall technical level has also reached world-leading standards. The multi-nozzle opposed water-coal slurry gasification technology, developed jointly by East China University of Science and Technology and Shandong Yankuang Group, enables a single furnace to process up to 3,000 tons of coal per day. Currently, 55 such gasification furnaces are in use, with another 113 under contract for installation; domestically developed systems such as the Tsinghua furnace, the Aerospace furnace, the two-stage dry powder coal gasification furnace, and the high-efficiency anthracite conversion furnace have all been put into industrial use. Once the large-scale transport bed gasification furnace (KSY) being installed and tested by Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Group comes online, it will be able to process 5,000 tons of coal per day, making it a giant in the history of coal gasification worldwide. In addition, world-leading technologies such as the coal hydrogenation gasification technology jointly developed by Hebei XinAo Group and the Shanxi Coal Chemistry Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the underground coal gasification technology developed by Dr. Liang Jie’s team from China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing) have also completed pilot tests, with large-scale industrial demonstration facilities set to be built. Innovations in the field of coal pyrolysis are equally noteworthy. In 2015 alone, two technologies were approved through technical evaluation: the integrated gasification-lower rank coal pyrolysis technology developed jointly by Shaanxi Coal Chemical Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd. and Beijing Collinsda Technology Development Company, and the technology for producing anthracite through the pyrolysis of lower rank pulverized coal developed jointly by Shenmu Tianyuan Chemical Co., Ltd. and Hualu Engineering Technology Co., Ltd. Additionally, industrial demonstration plants have been established for the fluidized-bed pyrolysis technology for low-rank coal developed by Henan Longcheng Group; the rapid pyrolysis technology using pulverized coal as a solid heat carrier, jointly developed by Shenmu Fuyou Energy Technology Co., Ltd. and relevant research institutions; and the heat-carrier-free thermal storage rotary-bed pyrolysis technology developed by Beijing Shenwu Group. Once successfully implemented, the integrated technology for transport-bed coal gasification and pyrolysis (CCSI) developed by Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Group—which has already undergone trial operations—will enable seamless integration of coal pyrolysis and gasification. Its energy efficiency will reach a leading level in the industry. Deep processing technologies are flourishing across the board. Apart from coal conversion technologies, innovations in other deep processing technologies within the coal chemical industry have also seen widespread development in recent years. In the processing of low-quality oils, including coal tar, Shenmu Fuyou Energy Technology Company of Shaanxi Coal and Chemical Industry Group developed an industrial-scale technology for the full-range hydrogenation of medium- and low-temperature coal tar to produce large amounts of intermediate distillate oils in 2012. Shanghai Xinyou Energy Technology Company developed a technology for processing low-quality oils using a bubbling bed in 2014; in the same year, Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Group developed a hydrogenation technology using a suspended bed. In 2015, Beijing Sanju Environmental Protection New Materials Co., Ltd. and Beijing Huashi United Energy Technology Development Co., Ltd. jointly developed a super-suspended bed processing technology. All of these technologies have now been put into industrial demonstration use, overcoming many global challenges and enabling China’s technology for processing low-quality oils to rank among the best in the world. In December 2014, the industrialization technology for producing polydimethyl ether from methanol, jointly developed by Shandong Yuhuang Chemical Co., Ltd. and Tsinghua University, was rated by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation as being at the world’s leading level. Taking advantage of its rich resources in oil, gas, and coal, the Yanchang Petroleum Group creatively integrated coal chemical engineering, natural gas chemical engineering, and petroleum chemical engineering to build the world’s first demonstration project for the comprehensive utilization of coal gas and oil. Through continuous improvements and optimizations, Inner Mongolia Tongliao Jinmei Chemical Co., Ltd. built the world’s first industrial demonstration plant for producing ethylene glycol from coal, using the technology developed by the Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This plant has been operating at full capacity since the second half of 2015, and the ethylene glycol produced meets all the quality requirements of the polyester industry, indicating that China’s industrialization technology for producing ethylene glycol from coal is now at the world’s leading level. Situated in the far northwest, Xinjiang Tianye Group has made significant contributions to the calcium carbide chlor-alkali industry. In 2011, in response to the problem of mercury contamination from catalysts used in the calcium carbide process for polyvinyl chloride production, the company successfully developed low-mercury catalysts and put them into industrial use, enabling Chinese chlor-alkali enterprises to cope effectively with the constraints and impacts imposed by the Minamata Convention. By utilizing the off-gases from calcium carbide furnaces, the group has successively established an ethylene glycol production capacity of 200,000 tons per year, with product quality meeting the requirements of the polyester industry; this has set a precedent for using off-gases from calcium carbide furnaces to produce high-end chemicals. The company has also collaborated with several research institutions to develop a plasma-based process for producing acetylene from coal; a 5-megawatt pilot plant has been built, offering leading capabilities in terms of scale and technology worldwide. In May 2009, the team led by Professor Han Hongjun from Harbin Institute of Technology developed the multi-stage biochemical treatment (EBA) technology. This technology integrates external circulation anaerobic technology, biological concentration technology, and multi-stage anaerobic/aerobic denitrification technology, along with high-density sedimentation, advanced oxidation, aerated biological filters, and multi-effect evaporation techniques, to achieve advanced treatment of coal chemical industry wastewater, essentially resulting in zero wastewater discharge. Using this technology, two demonstration sites have been established: China Coal Longhua Harbin Coal Chemical Co., Ltd. and China Coal Tuket Large-scale Fertilizer Waste Zero-discharge Project. Beijing WaterTech Co., Ltd. has developed osmotic reverse osmosis technology with a wide range of applications. To address the challenge of separating crystalline salts from concentrated salt wastewater, which poses a barrier to achieving zero discharge of coal chemical industry wastewater, Shenzhen Energy Resources Comprehensive Utilization Development Co., Ltd. collaborated with Shanghai Jingyu Environmental Engineering Co., Ltd. to develop a technology for the resource utilization of such wastewater. This technology was successfully validated through two small-scale field tests and one medium-scale continuous salt separation experiment. On January 18, 2016, Shenzhen Energy Resources Comprehensive Utilization and Development Co., Ltd. successfully won the bid for the EPC general contracting project for high-concentration brine evaporation and crystallization in Inner Mongolia Yitai Coal Chemical Company’s 1.2 million tons per year fine chemicals production facility. According to Ms. Wu Chunlian, the market director of the company’s coal chemical wastewater division, by leveraging Deep Energy Resources’ and Jingyu Environment’s core technologies, and through processes such as chemical softening and precipitation, high-intensity concentration, purification, evaporation and concentration, fractional crystallization, and drying and packaging, a model project will be created for China’s coal chemical industry – one that is capable of achieving zero wastewater discharge, as well as the separation, purification, and resource utilization of impurity salts. It is also understood that the special panel assembly plus loose fiber mist and dust removal technology developed by Shanghai Anci Environmental Protection Technology Company enables the dust removal of flue gas after calcium-based desulfurization to meet the 5 milligrams per cubic meter standard, with operating costs that are lower than those of existing wet-process power plant desulfurization methods. The carbon dioxide capture and oil displacement technology, developed through joint efforts by Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Group, Northwest University, and Shaanxi Institute of Energy and Chemical Engineering, has been tested in demonstration projects to improve oil recovery rates in the Jingbian and Wuqi oil fields in northern Shaanxi, yielding significant results. As a result, this achievement was included in the report submitted by the China-USA Climate Change Working Group to the seventh round of the China-USA Strategic and Economic Dialogue. Relying on the Ordos million-ton coal direct liquefaction project, Shenhua Group established China’s first industrial demonstration project for carbon capture and storage with a capacity of 100,000 tons per year. As of April 2015, a total of 302,365 tons of carbon dioxide had been injected, and nearly 180 million standard cubic meters of flue gas had been captured. The Petrochemical Industry Federation rated this project as having high innovation levels, being at an internationally advanced stage overall, and reaching an international leading level in terms of carbon dioxide storage techniques in low-permeability saline aquifers. The carbon dioxide mineralization power generation technology developed by Xie Heping’s team, which includes members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and is headed by the president of Sichuan University, involves a mineralization reaction between carbon dioxide and industrial alkaline wastes such as calcium carbide slag, organic waste alkalis, cement dust, and steel slag. This process not only solidifies carbon dioxide but also converts the chemical energy generated during mineralization into electrical energy, while simultaneously producing sodium bicarbonate with high added value. Institutions such as the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Hebei XinAo Group have developed technologies for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from coal chemical industries using microalgae, and have established pilot production facilities for these technologies. With further technological advancements and an increase in the area used for microalgae cultivation, a carbon dioxide–microalgae–biodiesel industry chain will be established in the future, enabling the sustainable utilization of carbon dioxide resources... Technological innovations in the coal chemical industry also benefit other sectors. In October 2015, the American magazine \"Power Magazine\" identified the world’s top thermal power plants of that year, and Shanghai Waigaoqiao Third Power Generation Co., Ltd. became the only Chinese thermal power plant to receive an award. The reason is that through a series of technological innovations such as the utilization of waste heat from flue gas, generalized regenerative heating, improved feedwater regenerative heating, enhanced boiler startup methods, and measures to prevent erosion by solid particles, along with strict measures for desulfurization, denitrification, dust removal, and selective catalytic reduction, the net efficiency of the 2×1000 megawatt ultra-supercritical coal-fired power generation units in operation has reached over 45%, a level that is among the highest in the world. Moreover, emission levels of nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, dust, and the Hegeman index are lower than those of natural gas-powered generators, setting a benchmark for the coal-fired power generation industry worldwide. Tracing back to its origins, a significant portion of the aforementioned technologies comes from practices in the coal chemical industry. In the field of industrial boilers, Shaanxi Coal and Chemical New Energy Co., Ltd. utilizes its own technologies and special processing techniques to transform high-quality fine coal from the Shenmu region into ultra-fine coal powder with a particle size of only 20–30 micrometers. Additionally, by collaborating with relevant boiler manufacturers and research institutions, the company has developed highly efficient pulverized coal boilers. When used together, thanks to the small particle size and high specific surface area of the ultra-fine coal powder, when it is injected into the furnace of a high-efficiency coal-fired boiler in mist form and comes into full contact with air, rapid combustion at low temperatures can be achieved. This significantly reduces the likelihood of nitrogen being oxidized into nitrogen oxides at high temperatures, thereby greatly improving the burn rate of coal and the thermal efficiency of the boiler. Monitoring by environmental authorities of several high-efficiency coal-fired boilers built and operated by this company has shown that the combustion efficiency of the coal used is over 98%, while the thermal efficiency of the boilers exceeds 90%. These figures represent increases of 30% and 25% respectively compared to traditional chain-type boilers, resulting in a savings of over 30% in coal consumption. The emission levels of particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides are not only far below the emission limits for coal-fired boilers specified in GB13271-2014 \"Emission Standards for Air Pollutants from Boilers\", but they are even lower than the most stringent \"Special Emission Limits for Air Pollutants from Gas Boilers in Key Areas\" set out in that standard. This achievement provides a roadmap for the energy-saving renovation of the large number of coal-fired industrial boilers in our country that are characterized by high energy consumption, high emissions, and high pollution levels. It has been hailed by the industry as another new approach to the clean and efficient utilization of coal. After three years of joint research with the Air Force, Shenhua Group successfully developed coal-based jet fuel in August 2015. This achievement not only indicates that our country has reached an internationally leading level in the research of coal-based jet fuel, but also, given the high density of coal-based fuels which allows more fuel to be stored in the same volume, it helps our fighter jets fly higher and farther, holding significant strategic importance. In early 2016, Shenhua Ningmei Group successfully produced pilot batches of medium-to-high melt index homopolypropylene products of the 1101SC and 1148TC grades. The former is a material specifically designed for non-woven fabrics, while the latter is used for thin-wall injection molding, thus putting an end to the history in which the company’s coal-based polypropylene plant could only produce general-purpose materials. Innovation brings boundless vitality. The continuous stream of technological innovations has brought about tremendous changes in China’s coal chemical industry. In terms of economic and social benefits, the coal chemical industry has made remarkable progress compared to when it first started 10 years ago. For example, through the use of methanol-based polydimethyl ether production technology, bench tests and pilot trials on diesel engines have shown that adding 20% of this substance to conventional diesel can reduce engine exhaust soot by 70% to 90%. If this technology is adopted across China, it will not only enable savings of over 30 million tons of diesel per year but also reduce vehicle emissions by 12% to 20%. Another example is the use of ultra-fine coal powder and high-efficiency coal powder boiler technologies; if these are applied to upgrade existing small and medium-sized coal-fired industrial boilers, it would be possible to save 170 million tons of coal per year, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 417 million tons, sulfur dioxide emissions by 4.35 million tons, and nitrogen oxide emissions by 730,000 tons. If all coal-fired power plants across the country adopted the ultra-low emission technology used at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Power Plant No. 3, smoke-related pollution in the power industry could be reduced by 90% compared to 2013 levels. If this technology were implemented in coal-fired power plants worldwide, it would result in a reduction of 4 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, as well as savings of 730 million tons of standard coal. Another example is that through continuous technical improvements, process optimization, and enhanced internal management, the Shenhua coal direct liquefaction plant has reduced its oil consumption per ton from 10 tons at the time of design to 5.8 tons, with levels as low as 5 tons at certain points. Through measures such as separating clean and polluted water streams, treating polluted water separately, reusing water, and making smart use of mine water, the project has minimized its consumption of local water resources, while achieving good results. In 2015, the coal chemical segment of Shenhua achieved operating revenue of 5.55 billion yuan and a profit of 649 million yuan. As of February 2016, China had 19 coal-based olefin production projects in operation (including those that produce polypropylene from coal and those that use purchased methanol to produce olefins), with a total olefin production capacity of 8.41 million tons. There were 13 projects under construction, with a combined olefin production capacity of 8.14 million tons. By the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period, China’s total production capacity for coal-to-olefins (including coal-based polypropylene and olefins produced from purchased methanol) is expected to exceed 17 million tons, accounting for 23% of the country’s total olefins production capacity at that time. While significantly enhancing the international competitiveness of domestic olefin products and their derivatives in the market, it has also helped China’s ethylene industry overcome the problems associated with high naphtha prices and shortages, resulting in annual savings of 170 million tons of crude oil. Even more encouraging is that a range of more creative technologies capable of generating economic and social benefits are already in the process of being developed. “Carbon dioxide at various concentrations can be used directly for mineralization-based power generation, without the need for carbon dioxide capture processes. The mineralization of 1 ton of carbon dioxide enables the stable production of 140 kWh of electricity, while also yielding 1.91 tons of sodium bicarbonate, whose price exceeds 1,500 yuan per ton. Once carbon dioxide mineralization power generation technology is put into industrial use on a large scale, the economic, environmental, and energy-saving benefits it brings will be immeasurable. ”Xie Heping said so. Fu Pengcheng, a professor at the School of Life Sciences and Technology at Beijing University of Chemical Technology, strongly supports making the development and application of microalgae technology a key focus area. He said that the lipid content in microalgae ranges from 20% to 70%, which is unmatched by terrestrial plants. During a 1-year growth period, 1 hectare of corn, soybeans, canola, and palm trees can produce 172 liters, 446 liters, 1190 liters, and 5950 liters of biodiesel respectively, while the same 1 hectare of microalgae can produce 95,000 liters of biodiesel. If 14% of China’s saline-alkali lands were used for the cultivation and growth of microalgae, the diesel produced could meet 50% of the country’s diesel demand. Moreover, while microalgae absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen through photosynthesis, the biodiesel they produce contains over 10% oxygen, which means less oxygen is required for combustion compared to petroleum-based diesel. As a result, its combustion and ignition properties are superior to those of petroleum-based diesel, leading to a 10% reduction in carbon monoxide emissions during combustion. Furthermore, microalgae have a carbon dioxide absorption and conversion capacity 10 to 50 times that of forests of the same area; once industrialized, they can bring about significant economic, environmental, and energy-saving benefits. Liu Zhongmin revealed that his team is developing a third-generation methanol-to-low-carbon olefins technology with a single-unit methanol processing capacity of 3 million tons per year, which can significantly increase the yields of ethylene and propylene as well as the efficiency of the plant and its economic viability by optimizing catalysts, process design, and reactor structure. Upon implementation, it will further enhance the competitiveness of coal-to-olefins, solidifying China’s world-leading position in coal-to-olefins technology. Furthermore, the team led by Professor Wang Jinfu from Tsinghua University is developing new technologies to address the challenge of separating oil, gas, and dust from coal tar obtained through pyrolysis, with the goal of achieving industrial application during the 13th Five-Year Plan period. Shaanxi Coal and Chemical Group will focus its future research efforts on finding efficient and cost-effective methods for separating oil, gas, and dust from industrial pyrolysis equipment, a problem that hinders the selective use of coal. Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Group, in collaboration with Northwest University and other institutions, is working on developing a circulating fluidized bed process for the anaerobic aromatization of methane to produce aromatics along with hydrogen. Shandong Yankuang Group and Shanxi Lu’an Mining Group have begun developing high-value chemical products such as high-carbon monohydrocarbons, α-olefins, polyα-olefins, 1-hexene, 1-octene, industrial lubricants, mixed alcohols, high-carbon alcohols, alkylbenzenes, alkylphenols, oxidized waxes, microcrystalline waxes, refined waxes, food-grade white oils, lubricating base oils, waxes with high freezing points, and surfactants – products that are difficult to obtain through petroleum-based methods. This is done in order to avoid competition with the refining industry in the market for refined oils and to enhance the competitiveness of coal-to-oil projects. Bao Xinhé’s vision is more targeted and more inspiring. He said that in the coming years, in addition to continuing to conduct in-depth basic research on catalysts, his team will also focus on promoting the industrial application of existing technological achievements such as the production of olefins from syngas, the anaerobic conversion of methane into olefins, aromatics, and hydrogen, so that these achievements can be put into industrial use as soon as possible and transformed into productive forces. At the same time, theoretical research on the mild decomposition of coal to produce liquid products and hydrocarbon products will be actively conducted, with the aim of overcoming related challenges and ultimately achieving the goal of processing coal in a mild, efficient, and clean manner, similar to petroleum refining. At the Science and Technology Work Conference of the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation held in Qingdao from April 21 to 22 this year, Hu Qianlin, deputy secretary-general of the federation and secretary-general of the Coal Chemicals Committee, outlined the future directions for innovation in the coal chemicals industry. He said that during the 13th Five-Year Plan period, modern coal chemical technology should focus on five key development directions: first, optimizing the production conditions and process design for key technologies in modern coal chemistry in order to improve the stability of existing demonstration projects; second, developing a range of key technologies and new products; third, establishing new demonstration projects; fourth, conducting research and development as well as demonstrations related to the efficient comprehensive utilization of low-grade coal, which accounts for over 55% of coal reserves; fifth, developing technologies for treating and reusing the \"three wastes\" generated in coal chemical processes.