In the cold winter, the construction site of Baotou Chemical’s upgraded demonstration project was filled with intense hustle and bustle. Thousands of workers were focusing on the installation timeline to accelerate the implementation of this full-process domestically produced demonstration project, injecting strong momentum into the transformation of the coal chemical industry.

As the “flagship component” of the project, the gasification unit is currently in a critical construction phase. Workers take advantage of favorable weather conditions to accelerate equipment installation. Once completed, the unit will consume 3.5 million tonnes of raw coal annually, produce 550,000 cubic meters of effective gas per hour, and yield 2 million tonnes of methanol per year. Its construction progress directly impacts the overall project timeline. “We have now entered the installation phase. Over the next 60 days, we must complete the installation of all arrived major equipment to ensure the expected schedule is achieved.” said Liu Ze, Deputy Director of the Upgraded Demonstration Project Department. Alongside the gasification unit, 21 other sub-projects, including the air separation unit and the shift and heat recovery unit, are also advancing simultaneously. 4,000 on-site construction personnel are working diligently in respective roles, carrying out tasks covering welding and lifting in an orderly manner. According to the plan, 55% of the construction progress is expected to be achieved this year, laying a solid foundation for completion by June next year and commissioning by the end of 2026.

The project is an upgraded project based on the world’s first coal-to-olefins demonstration unit, mainly adding an annual production of 2 million tonnes of coal-to-methanol and 750,000 tonnes of methanol-to-olefins. With the innovation of the Phase Ⅰ project, it has achieved the full-process technological localization in coal-to-olefins industry for the first time. Upon completion, methanol production capacity will increase from 1.8 million tonnes to 3.8 million tonnes per year, while polyolefin production capacity will rise from 600,000 tonnes to 1.35 million tonnes per year. This will lead the modern coal chemical industry toward high-end, diversified, and low-carbon development, setting a benchmark in the sector.