In Xigu Chemical Industrial Park, Lanzhou City, a profound transformation is unfolding that concerns the fate of the "eldest son of the Republic's petrochemical industry" and the pattern of the western chemical industry. Recently, Lanzhou Petrochemical Refining Company and New Materials Branch jointly held a preliminary review and evaluation meeting for the "Pre feasibility Study Report on the Transformation and Upgrading Ethylene Transformation Project of PetroChina Lanzhou Petrochemical Company", and the meeting came to a successful conclusion. This marks the successful completion of the critical review stage for the "No.1 Project" with a total investment of approximately 23.17 billion yuan, officially entering the fast lane of accelerated progress.

Previously, the safety condition review meeting for the project had been held in Lanzhou, and the safety evaluation report passed the expert review smoothly, laying a solid foundation for subsequent safety construction. This project is not only a key layout for Lanzhou Petrochemical to break through development bottlenecks and achieve transformation and upgrading, but also a major measure for China Petroleum Group to focus on the trend of "reducing oil and increasing chemical production" and the dual carbon goal of refining business, and to coordinate the refining business planning of the five provinces and regions of "Shaanxi Gansu Ningxia Qinghai Mongolia".

Build a 1.2 million ton ethylene system with one head and two tails

The project is located in Xigu Chemical Industrial Park, Lanzhou City, involving the collaborative renovation of Xigu Refinery Plant and Chemical Plant. The renovation plan is clearly divided into three major sections, with a clear layout and strong targeting.

In the ethylene transformation sector, the project will build a 1.2 million ton/year ethylene cracking and rapid cooling unit, an 800000 ton/year separation system, and utilize the existing 460000 ton/year ethylene separation system, while shutting down the existing 240000 ton/year ethylene plant. Ultimately, a 1.2 million tons/year ethylene production system with "one head and two tails" will be formed, significantly improving ethylene production capacity and efficiency, and meeting the industry leading demand of ethylene as the "mother of petrochemical industry".

Increasing production of raw materials and optimizing resources

The refining transformation sector will carry out adaptive transformation of three existing units, including a 1.2 million ton/year catalytic cracking unit, a 3 million ton/year diesel hydrogenation unit, and a 1.2 million ton/year diesel hydrogenation unit, while maintaining the existing types and processing volumes of crude oil in the refining system. The core goal is to increase the production of ethylene raw materials.

At the same time, new PSA units and carbon dioxide recovery units will be built in the refining area to further optimize raw material supply, improve resource utilization, and achieve integrated and coordinated development of refining and chemical industries.

7 new devices targeting high-end new materials

The downstream supporting sector of the chemical industry is the most directly affected part of the market in this renovation. The project will build 7 new chemical production units, including 20000 tons/year octene-1, 100000 tons/year POE, 140000 tons/year EVA, 450000 tons/year full density polyethylene, 400000 tons/year polypropylene, 700000 tons/year pyrolysis gasoline hydrogenation, and 700000 tons/year aromatic hydrocarbon extraction units.

Of particular note is that the project will transform one production line of the existing 170000 tons/year high-density polyethylene plant into a 60000 tons/year ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene plant. This measure aims to extend the high-end chemical industry chain, solve the bottleneck problem of high-end polyolefins, and promote the upgrading of products to high added value.

After the completion of this project, it will effectively solve the development bottleneck of low energy efficiency, high safety risks, and high environmental pressure in the old facilities of Lanzhou Petrochemical, further consolidate the position of the enterprise chain leader, and lead the development of the regional chemical industry cluster. As an important support for the modern production base of new materials in the Yellow River Basin, the project will promote the transformation of regional industry towards high-quality development, drive the formation of a billion level new material industry cluster downstream, and benefit the well-being of urban residents. It will also build a high-quality development system for local enterprises to share and win, inject strong impetus into the strategy of building a strong industrial province in Gansu, and provide practical reference for the green and low-carbon transformation of China's refining industry.Editor/Yang Meiling