Gasification unit at coal-to-olefins projects with 1.8 mln ton methanol capacity starts up in China

13-Aug-10

The gasification unit has been started up at the China Shenhua Coal to Liquid and Chemical Co. Ltd.’s project in Baotou, Inner Mongolia with advanced coal gasification technology provided by GE. Full production is scheduled for Q4-2010. The gasification technology converts coal into a synthesis gas (or syngas). Syngas can then be used to produce methanol, which will be transformed into olefins. At full production, the project will produce nearly 1.8 mln tons of methanol for approximately 600,000 tpa of polyethylene and polypropylene. With five gasifiers and two spare units, this is one of the largest coal to olefins plants in the world. “The size and scope of this project is possible because of strong government interest in the development of larger coal-to-olefins plants,” said Jason Crew, director of gasification products—Asia for GE Power & Water. “The Shenhua Baotou Coal to Olefins project is one of three large-scale, coal-to-olefins demonstration projects funded by the Chinese government and is the first one to start up. We are proud that GE gasification technology is part of this successful industrial scale project.”