The methanol synthesis unit of the Qitaihe Baotailong coke-based stable light hydrocarbons (MTG) project was put into operation
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On June 8, 2016, the methanol synthesis unit of the Baotailong coke-to-light hydrocarbons project in Qitaihe, Heilongjiang, which was constructed by Sinochem 13th Construction Company, began operations. The project is located in Qitaihe City, Heilongjiang Province, with a total investment of approximately 3.306 billion yuan. It utilizes Jiangxi Changyu’s pure oxygen oxidation technology, Swiss Cassali’s methanol synthesis technology, and Saiding’s one-step process for converting methanol into gasoline. The capacity is 300,000 tons per year of stable light hydrocarbons, with by-products including 43,170 tons per year of LPG and LNG, as well as 33,810 tons per year of heavy oil.
This technology is great! Very advanced!
Also, how is this heavy oil processed? Cleavage?
Yes, heavy oil is hydrocracked into diesel and naphtha. Baotailong already has in operation a coal tar hydrogenation unit with a capacity of 100,000 tons per year, which can be used to process such heavy oil.
Good project. What will be the final octane rating of the gasoline produced? 92 or 97?
Yunnan Pioneer MTG gasoline, which utilizes the same technology, has been tested by CNPC, Sinopec, and the Yunnan Province Product Inspection Center. The results show that all quality parameters of this gasoline far exceed those required for National IV 93# automotive gasoline; in particular, the levels of environmental-related pollutants such as sulfur, benzene, and gum content are extremely low. No traces of metals such as lead, manganese, or iron were detected, making it well above the requirements set by the National V standard. At the same time, the road test reports conducted by Sinopec show that the fuel performs better than commercially available 93# automotive gasoline in terms of power, stability, cold-weather ignition performance, and fuel consumption.
So, is Sinopec now planning to vigorously build MTG projects across the country? How many units are planned for the future?
Are MTG’s economic benefits that good these days? How much methanol is needed to produce one ton of gasoline?
In mid-month, Norway’s ban on gasoline-powered vehicles shocked the oil industry. Ola Elvinsen, a member of the Norwegian Liberal Party, told local media that lawmakers agreed to ban or significantly reduce the sales of fossil fuel vehicles by 2025. This proposal has been included in Norway’s national transport plan for 2018–2029. The plan states that all fuel-powered cars, vans, buses, and heavy vehicles will be gradually banned from being sold in Norway. If this plan is implemented, Norway will become the first country in the world to ban gasoline-powered vehicles. Restricting gasoline is becoming a trend; Japan and Germany call for a complete ban on gasoline vehicles by 2050! At present, coal-to-oil is merely a temporary solution; it’s like steam locomotives – is there any point in further developing it?
Fossil fuels will only become obsolete once electric aircraft and nuclear fusion power generation are commercialized.