Technology News ,China :- In a groundbreaking development, China has initiated trial runs for the world largest coal-based ethanol production plant in southeastern China, according to state media. This innovative facility, situated in Huaibei, Anhui province, boasts an impressive annual capacity of 600,000 tonnes and utilizes coal, rather than traditional crops, as the primary raw material for ethanol production.
The shift to coal-based ethanol production is poised to alleviate the strain on China food resources while simultaneously reducing its reliance on imported fuel ethanol. Ethanol, a clean and renewable energy source with a density similar to petrol, serves as a valuable petrol additive and basic chemical.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) emphasizes the significance of this new production route for China food security, energy security, and the chemical industry supply chain. Traditional ethanol production methods often compete with food supplies, making the utilization of low-grade coal—a resource abundantly available in China—an environmentally friendly alternative that could save millions of tonnes of grain annually.
The coal-based plant in Huaibei relies on advanced technology jointly developed by DICP and the state-owned Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Group. Referred to as DMTE, the innovative technology produces methanol from coke oven gas, a by-product of coke production. This methanol then reacts with other materials to generate ethanol. Remarkably, DMTE technology is versatile enough to enable large-scale ethanol production not only from coal but also from natural gas or gas derived from steel plants.
China stands alone as the only country to have deployed this technology on an industrial scale, marking a significant milestone in its commitment to sustainable energy practices.
Ethanol, with its clean energy attributes, can be transformed into ethylene or replace ethylene in certain reactions as a chemical feedstock. This dual functionality positions ethanol as both an excellent energy product and a bulk chemical raw material, capable of producing a myriad of related products.
Despite a significant demand for fuel ethanol in China, the country faces a considerable shortfall. Last year, it produced around 2.7 million tonnes of fuel ethanol through the fermentation of aged grain. However, a substantial market gap of 10 million tonnes necessitated heavy reliance on imports.
The coal-to-ethanol team, led by DICP director Liu Zhongmin, has been at the forefront of environmentally friendly DMTE pathway research since 2010. The team previously designed the world first 100,000-tonne coal-to-ethanol production line in 2017, located in northwestern Shaanxi province. Over the years, they have optimized the reaction process and reduced production costs, achieving international standards in coal-to-ethanol production.
With 13 industrial facilities, including two overseas ones, planning to adopt DMTE technology, the total ethanol production capacity is set to reach an impressive 3.95 million tonnes per year, marking a significant leap toward sustainable and domestically sourced fuel production.
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