Anhui's 1.7-million-ton coal-to-olefins project officially breaks ground on its two major units.

　　Recently, the 1.7-million-ton-per-year coal-to-methanol and olefin conversion project—featuring methanol synthesis and sulfur recovery units—officially broke ground at Zhong'an United Coal & Chemical Co., Ltd., a joint venture between Wanbei Coal & Electricity and Sinopec. The groundbreaking ceremony was held right at the methanol synthesis site. Attendees included representatives from the Project Management Department, the Zhong'an Project Team of Nanjing Engineering Company, and personnel from the construction contractors involved in the project.

　　It is reported that the methanol synthesis and sulfur recovery units, constructed by Nanjing Engineering Company, are a critical component of the entire coal-to-chemicals project. The methanol synthesis unit boasts an annual production capacity of 1.8 million tons and is located to the west of the first circulating water facility. Meanwhile, the sulfur recovery unit has an annual capacity of 20,000 tons and is situated to the west of the purification unit and north of the methanol synthesis unit. Construction is scheduled for completion and handover by October 30, 2018.

　　On June 1, the project's first and second circulating water facilities officially broke ground, with completion and handover planned for July 31, 2018.

　　On May 26, the groundbreaking ceremony was held for Section 2 of the project's coal gasification unit installation work.

　　On May 13, construction officially began on the project's 350,000-ton-per-year polypropylene unit, with Sinopec Fifth Construction Co., Ltd. responsible for the construction work.

　　On March 17, the purification unit of the Sino-An United Coal Chemical Engineering Project, constructed by Sinopec Nanjing Engineering, officially broke ground. This marks the first major unit to resume construction following the project's restart. The unit is scheduled for handover on October 30, 2018.

　　The 1.7-million-ton-per-year coal-to-methanol and olefin conversion project of Zhong'an United Coal & Chemical Co., Ltd. was originally targeted for complete construction by the end of 2018, with the entire process expected to be fully operational by June 2019. On December 7, 2016, a preparatory meeting was held to resume work on the Zhong'an coal chemical project, outlining the key steps needed to kickstart recovery efforts. Then, on January 20, 2017, a resumption-of-work conference for the Zhong'an project took place in Huainan. During the meeting, the Engineering Headquarters officially announced the "Notice on Resuming Construction of the Zhong'an United Coal Chemical Project" (Sinopec Construction & Refining [2017] No. 6), marking the official restart of the Zhong'an United Coal Chemical Project.

　　The Zhong'an United Coal-to-Chemicals Integration Project is a key construction initiative jointly backed by Sinopec and Anhui Province. Zhong'an United Coal Industry & Chemicals Co., Ltd. was established on December 18, 2010, with an initial registered capital of RMB 4 billion, equally funded by China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) and Wanbei Coal & Electricity Group Co., Ltd. of Anhui Province, each holding a 50% equity stake. At the heart of the Zhong'an United project lies Sinopec's proprietary S-MTO technology, while the gasification unit leverages the company’s advanced SE-Oriental Furnace technology—both developed entirely in-house. Utilizing coal from the Zhuji West Mine as its primary feedstock, the project produces essential chemicals such as methanol, followed by the conversion of methanol into olefins (including LDPE and PP) and ethylene glycol (MEG). China Petrochemical Engineering Construction Co., Ltd. serves as the general contractor for this landmark project, overseeing the turnkey construction of two major units: the MTO/OCC facility and the PP plant, along with six additional critical components, including the central control system and a 110-kV substation.