On the morning of July 29, 2025, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the air separation unit of the first phase of the olefin, aromatic hydrocarbon and deep processing project under Yulin Chemical's 15 million tons/year coal graded, clean and efficient conversion demonstration project (referred to as the first phase of the second-phase project). As the construction order was issued, the roar of machinery instantly cut through the sky, marking an important leap for the unit from preparation and planning to the integrated implementation of "engineering - procurement - construction".
According to the overall deployment of the project, by September 15 this year, the air separation unit will complete the foundation construction of one nitrogen tank in the backup system and the pouring of the foundation for the first cold box.
The first phase of the second-phase project of Yulin Chemical adopts 5 sets of 100,000 m³/h air separation units from Linde Engineering, including 3 sets driven by electricity and 2 sets driven by steam. For the 1.8 million tons/year ethylene glycol project in the first phase of Yulin Chemical, 3 sets of 100,000 m³/h Linde air separation units were used.
The first phase of the second-phase project covers a total area of approximately 9,200 mu, with an estimated total investment of about 62 billion yuan. By adopting 9 sets of 3,500-ton aerospace furnaces (aerospace pulverized coal pressurized gasification technology) and integrating a number of industry-leading technologies, the project will build the world's largest coal-based polygeneration system. With the graded, clean and efficient conversion of coal as the core, the project will construct a complete industrial chain of "coal → synthesis gas → olefins/aromatics → high-end new materials". It is designed to produce over 4 million tons of chemical products such as polyolefins and aromatics annually, realizing the transformation and upgrading of coal from fuel to high-value-added materials. Meanwhile, the project will be equipped with a million-ton-level CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) device, adopt zero-discharge technology for wastewater, and achieve ultra-low standards for pollutant emissions, promoting the green and low-carbon transformation of the coal chemical industry.
Shaanxi Coal Group Yulin Chemical's 15 million tons/year coal graded, clean and efficient conversion demonstration project makes full use of the abundant coal resources in the Yulin area, with "coal graded utilization technology" as the core. Through two paths of coal-to-olefins and coal-to-aromatics, it deeply couples modern coal chemical industry with various platform compounds from petrochemical industry, extends the industrial chain, and finally produces 45 products in 4 categories, including high-value-added materials, degradable materials, battery electrolyte solvents, and special oils.
After the full completion of the project, it is expected to achieve an annual sales revenue of 134 billion yuan, an annual profit of over 30 billion yuan, and provide more than 7,000 jobs.
The second-phase project of Yulin Chemical is currently the coal chemical project with the largest single investment, with a total investment of 176 billion yuan in chemical plants. Built on the foundation of the first-phase project, it takes coal pyrolysis, coal tar hydrogenation, and pulverized coke gasification technologies as the leading forces. By systematically integrating coal pyrolysis, coal/semi-coke gasification, and downstream deep processing technologies, the project further expands and extends the industrial chain, and explores new paths for the coupled development of coal-based olefins and coal-based aromatics. Ultimately, it will produce chemical products such as polyolefins, polyesters, polycarbonates, polyether polyols, EVA, POE, SAP, DMC, DEC, EMC, and EC, with an estimated annual sales revenue of over 90 billion yuan.
