Please call Jin Xin from Hulunbuir and ask him to introduce the situation regarding the commissioning of Shell’s gasification plant

Gasifying Hulunbuir lignite presents significant challenges due to long-term high-load operation!

The ignition took place at 09:09 on June 18; gas was produced on the same day and connected to the grid as well (connecting to the grid was straightforward due to the existing BGL gasification unit). At 16:00 on June 20, once the unit was operating stably, the carrier gas was switched from N2 to CO2, and this transition also proceeded smoothly. That evening, the CO2 compressor stopped operating due to high shaft temperature, so the carrier gas was switched back to N2. On June 21, the shaft temperature interlock was disabled and the CO2 compressor was restarted, with the carrier gas being switched again. As of now, the unit is operating steadily, supplying gas to the downstream conversion units in a consistent manner. The starting load is 75%, and the maximum load is 97% (the limitations related to not reaching full capacity stem from the need to maintain balance in the cooling capacity on the downstream side, as well as issues related to catalyst pressure drop in the conversion unit; efforts are ongoing to optimize various process parameters and collect operational data). There are some problems: several incidents of coal burners shutting down have occurred, mainly due to clogged coal valves and unstable coal supply lines. The outlet temperature of the CO2 compressor does not reach the designed value of 135; currently it only reaches 110, which is the effect of turning off the circulating water in the inter-stage cooler. As a next step, considering adding heating elements and an additional heat exchanger.

May I ask what the calorific value of your company’s lignite is, what proportion each of gas hydrogen and carbon monoxide accounts for, how much coal is fed in per hour, and what the oxygen load is?

The calorific value is 15–16 MJ, with 85% being usable gas, 25% hydrogen, and 60–62% CO

The designed oxygen level is 19,600, while an actual oxygen level of 18,000 is sufficient to achieve the designed gas production volume, indicating that the design value has been exaggerated. Coal feeding rate: 30 t/h (dry coal, with 35% total moisture on a received basis and 5% moisture after drying)

Could you provide information on the total investment required for this new installation? Additionally, with so many gasification technologies available in China, why was the Shell furnace chosen in the end?

May I ask how the raw coal used in your process is dried? Is there a unit for removing water from the raw coal?

There is not much knowledge available regarding coal gasification using domestic technologies; the choice of SHELL was determined by our parent company. Initially, we also planned to use SHELL, but later three BGL gasifiers were installed. However, due to the inability to use briquetted coal, the required load could not be achieved, and the break-even point could not be reached. In the end, one SHELL gasifier was installed. Moreover, our entire company now has two sets of SHELL gasifiers, which gives us advantages in terms of operational performance and technical expertise!

Congratulations on the successful driving; I hope to see more insights on Shell’s experience with downflow water quenching.

Thank you so much. It’s great that you can provide updates on the operational status every day. How much has Shell invested in your company approximately?