On March 15, 2026, the Dalu Industrial Park in Zhungeer Banner, Ordos, Inner Mongolia, ushered in a historic moment. With the comprehensive construction promotion meeting of Sinopec's coal to olefin upgrading demonstration project with a total investment of 22.1 billion yuan, this "super factory" has officially entered a new stage of comprehensive construction, marking a key step for Sinopec towards high-end and green development in the coal chemical industry.

The magnificent turn from black gold to platinum

On the vast grasslands of Inner Mongolia, coal resources are abundant, but how to turn "black gold" into "white gold" has always been a topic of exploration in the industry. The Sinopec Dalu coal to olefin project is the culmination of this exploration. The total investment of the project is 22.067 billion yuan, with environmental protection investment of about 1.6 billion yuan, accounting for a high proportion of 7.27%, reflecting the determination of green development.

The project uses coal as raw material and through a series of complex chemical reactions, ultimately produces high-end chemical new materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene, EVA, etc. These products are widely used in fields such as automobiles, home appliances, packaging, and healthcare, and are essential basic raw materials for the national economy. After the completion of the project, it will form a huge production capacity of 2.26 million tons of methanol, 800000 tons of olefins, and 900000 tons of polyolefins per year, becoming an important pole in the domestic coal chemical industry.

Chinese chip with full chain independent technology

Unlike relying on imported technology in the past, the Sinopec DaLu project has achieved full chain technological autonomy from "head" to "tail". In the core device of the project - coal gasification, Sinopec's independently developed SE powder coal gasification technology was adopted. This technology has the characteristics of wide adaptability to coal types and high technical reliability, breaking the monopoly of foreign technology and achieving a breakthrough in "Chinese chips".

In the methanol to olefins (MTO) process, Sinopec S-MTO technology was adopted. This technology has high reaction efficiency and low energy consumption, making China the world's first country to master the efficient methanol to olefin full process technology with independent intellectual property rights. In addition, the project also adopts Sinopec's own advanced technologies such as S-COS sulfur resistant transformation and S-AGR acid gas removal, ensuring the efficient and stable operation of the entire production process.

Green hydrogen coupled carbon reduction password

Under the "dual carbon" goal, traditional coal chemical industry faces the challenge of high carbon emissions. The Sinopec Road project has innovatively introduced the "green hydrogen coupling" model, providing a new path for the green transformation of coal chemical industry. The project plan is to construct a wind solar power electrolysis water hydrogen production device, which will use green electricity to produce green hydrogen and replace some coal as raw material.

By introducing green hydrogen, the project will significantly reduce coal and energy consumption, thereby reducing the overall carbon dioxide emissions of the plant. This coupled development model of "coal chemical industry+new energy" not only improves the environmental protection level of the project, but also sets a benchmark for the green transformation of traditional energy bases. After completion, the project will become a modern industrial base integrating clean energy and high-end chemicals, injecting new momentum into the high-quality development of the regional economy.

The comprehensive construction of Sinopec's coal to olefin project is not only a major layout of Sinopec in the coal chemical industry, but also an important symbol of China's energy and chemical industry moving towards high-end and green development. With the progress of the project, Inner Mongolia, this energy hotspot, will once again radiate new vitality and energy.Editor/Yang Meiling