On August 28, 2026, in Kuche Economic and Technological Development Zone, Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang, a flash evaporation tower was slowly lifted off the ground and accurately positioned under the traction of a giant crane. The lifting task is undertaken by Sinopec Fourth Construction Third Engineering Company. This seemingly ordinary construction moment is the most vivid footnote of the Tahe Refining and Chemical Integration Project moving from the drawings to the construction site.

Just a few days later, on September 4th, key progress was announced in the project: the core supporting unit, a 2.4 million tons/year hydrocracking unit, officially began EPC engineering general contracting bidding. As a provincial key petrochemical benchmark project with a total investment of 29.987 billion yuan, this bidding marks the comprehensive acceleration of Tahe Refining and Chemical's transformation from traditional refining to high-end fine chemical industry.

Key device initiation bidding

The project is located within the existing production plant area of Tahe Refinery, and will be renovated and expanded based on the existing 5 million tons/year crude oil processing capacity. After the overall completion, the primary crude oil processing capacity will be increased to 8.5 million tons/year.

The construction content is quite extensive: the original 1.5 million tons/year No.1 atmospheric pressure unit will be expanded and transformed into a 5 million tons/year atmospheric and vacuum distillation unit, while 16 sets of refining and production units, including 2.4 million tons/year hydrocracking, 1.5 million tons/year continuous reforming, 800000 tons/year ethylene cracking, and 800000 tons/year aromatic hydrocarbon combination, will be newly built, and 4 existing units, including 3.5 million tons/year No.2 atmospheric and vacuum distillation, will be upgraded synchronously. The project is expected to be fully completed and put into operation by 2029.

Synchronized acceleration of equipment procurement

The pace of engineering construction is often hidden in a bidding announcement. On June 20, 2025, the environmental impact assessment report of the project was officially approved by the Department of Ecology and Environment of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region; On September 20th of the same year, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the project officially started construction in Kuche City. Afterwards, the expansion and renovation of the No.1 atmospheric pressure unit and the control room of the refining center started first.

The procurement of core equipment is also accelerating. In May 2026, the bidding announcement for the reciprocating compressor project was released, with a flow rate of 50000 to 70000 cubic meters per minute, an inlet pressure of 2 MPa, and an outlet pressure of 17.5 MPa; In June, the framework agreement bidding for the distributed control system of the refining department was launched; In August, Zhongkong Technology Co., Ltd. won the bid for the safety instrument system of the refining section. In addition, Sinopec Guangzhou Engineering Co., Ltd. has also issued a procurement result announcement for equipment such as input type flange level gauges, throttling devices, and integrated orifice plates.

One drop of oil to a piece of cloth

The project is located adjacent to the Tarim Oilfield, forming a short distance supply mode from the oilfield to the refinery, significantly reducing the transportation cost of bulk raw materials. As a landmark project for the implementation of the national oil refining strategy in Xinjiang, it will completely change the industrial pattern of only refining but not refining in southern Xinjiang, and promote the local deep processing of oil and gas resources in the Tarim Basin.

After completion, the project will have the ability to produce ethylene and xylene series products, ending the history of local inability to independently produce ethylene and aromatic chemical raw materials in southern Xinjiang. At the same time, it will fill the gap of the high-end blending industry cluster in southern Xinjiang, which has long lacked PX raw materials, and promote the coordinated development of the entire refining and spinning industry chain.keywords:New energy information network

According to the crude oil price of $60 per barrel, after production, the annual increase in production value will be about 20.2 billion yuan, the new tax revenue will be about 3.5 billion yuan, and it will directly drive employment of about 10000 people. After the production capacity of 800000 tons of ethylene and 800000 tons of aromatic hydrocarbons is implemented, it is expected to drive additional investment of hundreds of billions of yuan in upstream and downstream supporting industries. Located in the core channel of the the Belt and Road, the project can not only supply the northwest market, but also radiate the Central Asian market by relying on the China Europe Express and the western port.Editor/Yang Meiling