Where is the green and low-carbon transformation of the petrochemical industry?

At the recently held 2021 annual petroleum and chemical industry energy efficiency "leader", water efficiency "leader" press conference and energy saving and carbon reduction technology exchange and promotion meeting, the reporter learned that there are only more than 7 years left from the carbon peak in 2030, but energy prices continue to rise, the structural contradictions of the industry are still prominent, energy transformation is facing key technology and cost constraints, the current situation of enterprises and national expectations, energy conservation and water saving and carbon reduction level and developed countries still have a gap, the formulation of enterprise carbon peak action plans has yet to be improved and many other practical issues.

The pressure on the macro environment should not be underestimated

"The green and low-carbon transformation of the whole industry is facing multiple challenges, and we must further enhance the sense of urgency and responsibility

These pressure challenges come from both the macro environment and industrial policy

Li Shousheng said that first of all, China's economic development is facing the "triple pressure" of demand contraction, supply shock and expected weakening, which brings new challenges

Second, the energy transition still faces multiple challenges

Third, since last year, the state has intensively issued a number of documents involving energy conservation, water conservation and carbon reduction, such as in October 2021, the National Development and Reform Commission issued the "Several Opinions on Strict Energy Efficiency Constraints to Promote Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction in Key Areas"

The industry's own energy conservation and carbon reduction also has shortcomings

In addition to external pressure, the energy-saving and carbon-reducing pressure brought about by the industry's own shortcomings cannot be ignored

Li Shousheng pointed out that at present, the structural contradictions of low-end surplus and high-end shortage in the industry are facing the challenge of accelerating adjustment, which also brings about an increase

Jin Guogang, deputy secretary-general of the China Chemical Energy Conservation Technology Association, pointed out that taking ethylene as an example, from 2015 to 2019, the comprehensive energy consumption of domestic ethylene fell by 6.

"With the deepening of energy-saving work, the difficulty of energy-saving gradually increases, the return on investment of energy-saving is also decreasing, and the energy-saving work is far from reaching the optimal level

At the meeting, some industry experts said that many companies are very active in formulating "double carbon" plans and programs, and have also done research on

To "live on carbon", not to "die under carbon"

Li Shousheng said that under the "double carbon" goal, the whole industry should adhere to systematic thinking, explore and expand new paths for high-quality development, and strive to find a new path with low carbon emissions

Li Shousheng said that on the one hand, the whole industry should actively carry out energy-saving and carbon-reduction transformation and upgrading, and explore a coordinated promotion mechanism

On the other hand, the industry should actively participate in the construction of the carbon market and strengthen the awareness of

The energy transition requires both security and innovation

To achieve the "double carbon" goal, it is important to accelerate the adjustment of the energy structure, create a new engine for China's energy transformation, and enhance new kinetic energy

Li Shousheng stressed that at present, a large number of emerging energy technologies such as renewable energy and hydrogen energy are accelerating breakthroughs and becoming the core driving force

To actively promote the green and low-carbon transformation of the industry, it is very important
to improve the construction of the standard system.
In terms of energy consumption standards, the industry should accelerate the upgrading of energy conservation standards, expand the coverage of energy consumption quota standards, and carry out the formulation of
supporting standards such as energy conservation diagnosis and energy audit in the industry.
In terms of water-saving standards, the industry should continue to carry out the formulation of water consumption quota standards for key products
.
In terms of carbon emission standards, the industry should accelerate the formulation of carbon emission verification and accounting standards for key sub-industry enterprises, greenhouse gas emission standards for key products, and improve the standard labeling system
for low-carbon products.
In addition, around the fields of green production and ecological design, cleaner production, comprehensive utilization of resources, and disposal of waste chemicals, the industry should accelerate the construction of a green standard system
for the petroleum and chemical industries.
During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, a standard support system
with reasonable structure, clear hierarchy, prominent focus, strong applicability, and basically meets the needs of the industry's green and low-carbon transformation will be initially formed.

Li Shousheng said that the industry should also strengthen innovation-driven and empower the high-quality development
of the industry with the innovation of key core technologies.
On August 18 this year, the Ministry of Science and Technology and other 9 departments issued the "Implementation Plan for Science and Technology to Support Carbon Peak Carbon Neutrality (2022-2030)", proposing to achieve major breakthroughs in key low-carbon key core technologies in key industries and fields by 2025, and further study and break through a number of carbon neutral frontier and subversive technologies by 2030, form a number of low-carbon technology solutions and comprehensive demonstration projects with significant influence, and establish a more perfect green and low-carbon technology innovation system
.

"Key tasks such as energy transformation, energy conservation and consumption reduction, pollution reduction and carbon reduction, and the construction of a high-end industrial chain all require us to strengthen innovation drive, and it must be high-end leading and future-oriented innovation
.
" During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the whole industry must change from 'scale speed' to 'structural efficiency' in terms of growth mode, from 'follow-up type' to 'leading type' in terms of innovation mode, and from 'traditional management type' to 'information intelligence type' in
terms of management mode.
The core of these three major changes is to firmly grasp the improvement of innovation ability, especially the improvement
of original innovation ability.
Li Shousheng stressed
.

Green and low-carbon development is expensive to find out the bottom of the family

At the meeting, some insiders talked about the green and low-carbon development path of the petrochemical industry, and stressed that the petrochemical industry is one
of the high energy consumption and high emission industries in China's industrial sector due to the high concentration of energy use.
Although from a general point of view, the direct carbon emissions of China's petrochemical industry are stable and decreasing, but the stamina for emission reduction is insufficient, and indirect carbon emissions continue to rise
.
Under the new situation, it will be inevitable
to promote the transformation of the petrochemical industry from extensive development to intelligent and green high-quality development.
Comprehensively improving the level of green and low-carbon development has become an important task in the
industry.
First, through energy conservation and emission reduction, improve energy efficiency, reduce energy consumption intensity, and greatly reduce carbon dioxide and "three wastes" emissions; Second, we must boldly realize the electrification of process and equipment; The third is to realize the greening of
electric power.

The industry insider said that there are many scenarios for petrochemical companies to achieve energy conservation and carbon reduction, including the application of energy conservation and carbon reduction technology, the development and application of new energy, and the large
space for energy conservation and emission reduction in carbon asset management, energy management, equipment management, etc.
Enterprises should actively formulate a "double carbon" strategy, find out the bottom line of carbon emissions, find effective ways to reduce emissions, and clarify the gap between enterprises and advanced levels, and how to make up for
these gaps.
Enterprises should also implement the transformation of green and low-carbon technologies, and continuously try and demonstrate
green hydrogen production, carbon capture, electrification and low-carbon technologies.
At the same time, enterprises should comprehensively strengthen digital transformation, use digital technology, through analog deduction and real-time monitoring, effectively measure greenhouse gas emissions and energy losses in the chemical production process, and provide an accurate and effective data basis
for energy conservation and emission reduction.

Excellent enterprises should become the benchmark for industry learning

The list of energy efficiency "frontrunners" released at the meeting is also a demonstration enterprise for energy conservation and carbon reduction in the industry, which is worth learning from
the industry.

Henan Xinlianxin Chemical Industry Group Co.
, Ltd.
, an energy-efficient "frontrunner" in the production of synthetic ammonia from bituminous coal (including lignite), is a typical
example of "living on carbon".
Zhang Qingjin, general manager of the company, shared his experience at the meeting and stressed that by establishing the concept of green and low-carbon development of energy saving for all employees, using advanced processes, technologies and devices, heart-to-heart has become the energy efficiency "leader" of synthetic ammonia, and has also changed people's stereotypes
of traditional coal chemical enterprises.

Zhang Qingjin said: "Hazardous chemical enterprises, high energy consumption enterprises, and high carbon dioxide emission enterprises are the labels
that people attach to coal chemical enterprises.
However, based on China's national conditions, the development of coal-to-fertilizer is in line with the national strategy and is also a requirement for
ensuring food security.
In this context, how to create maximum social value with the least amount of resources is a topic
that each of our coal chemical enterprises must attach great importance to and constantly explore.
In particular, the senior leaders of enterprises must establish this concept, only in this way can we improve safety management, the introduction of advanced technology and process equipment, the application of advanced environmental protection and energy-saving devices, the introduction of high-end talents and the research and development of high-end products
.
Even at the expense of current interests, we must find ways to launch advanced devices, use advanced technology, greatly reduce the consumption of coal, electricity and water, greatly improve the stability of the operation of the device, and make all kinds of emission indicators far below the standards
stipulated by the state.
”

It is understood that in the past 10 years, the cumulative investment of Heart-to-Heart Company in safety, energy saving, environmental protection, automation and other aspects is not less than 2 billion yuan
.
The result of high investment is the continuous reduction of energy consumption, the continuous improvement of environmental performance, the continuous improvement of operating efficiency, and the high recognition of society, government, shareholders and employees, while the comprehensive competitiveness of enterprises has been significantly improved
.
For example, the company adopts advanced coal gasification technology to greatly improve the coal conversion rate
.
In the past, the conversion rate of fixed bed gasified coal was about 87%, and now the conversion rate of advanced gasified coal such as coal water slurry has reached more than
99%.
In the conversion of coal, heart-to-heart has basically achieved "eating dry and squeezing out"
.
Only 86% of the purity carbon dioxide is emitted, which is conducive to recycling
.

Green low-carbon cutting-edge technology/mature process

The National Development and Reform Commission and other departments have jointly issued the "Implementation Guidelines for Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction Renovation and Upgrading in Key Areas" (hereinafter referred to as the "Implementation Guidelines").

The "Implementation Guide" respectively proposes energy-saving and carbon-reducing transformation and upgrading schemes for 10 petrochemical sub-industries of oil refining, ethylene, paraxylene, modern coal chemical industry, synthetic ammonia, calcium carbide, caustic soda, soda ash, ammonium phosphate and yellow phosphorus, including cutting-edge technology and mature technology
.

Refining industry

Cutting-edge technology: strengthen the development and application
of deep refining technology such as the processing of inferior heavy oil raw materials such as residual oil slurry bed hydrogenation, advanced separation and molecular refining, low-cost increase in olefins and aromatic hydrocarbons, and direct cracking of crude oil.

Mature process: Accelerate the popularization and promotion
of advanced control technology, cold regeneratant cycle catalytic cracking technology, compressor control optimization and regulation technology, high-efficiency air preheater, high-efficiency heat exchanger, distillation system optimization technology, etc.

Ethylene industry

Cutting-edge technology: promote the development and application
of crude oil direct cracking technology, electric cracking furnace technology, equipment electrification and green energy coupling utilization technology.

Mature process: accelerate the cracking furnace online coking technology, advanced anti-viscosity tower viscosity reduction technology, twisted sheet pipe and other cracking furnace pipes and new forced ventilation burners, plastic refractory lining and high-temperature insulation paint and other high-quality insulation materials, waste heat utilization heat pump integration technology, advanced optimized control technology, furnace tube enhanced heat transfer technology, low temperature ethane, propane, liquefied natural gas cold energy utilization technology and other popularization and promotion
.

Paraxylene industry

Cutting-edge technology: strengthen the development and application
of domestic simulated mobile bed adsorption separation complete set (SorPX) technology, as well as adsorption tower grid, simulated mobile bed control system, large-scale xylene tower and xylene reboiling furnace.

Mature process: strengthen the development and application of advanced process technologies such as reforming, disproportionation, isomerization, paraxylene separation; Accelerate the popularization and popularization
of xylene liquid phase isomerization technology, two-stage heavy slurry crystallization process technology and complex crystallization separation technology.

Coal chemical industry

Cutting-edge technology: strengthen the development and application
of cutting-edge technologies such as high-performance composite new catalysts, autonomous complete sets of large air separation, large air pressure boosters, large coal gasification furnaces, synthetic gas one-step production of olefins, green hydrogen and coal chemical project coupling.

Mature process: accelerate the development and application of large-scale advanced coal gasification, semi/full waste pot process gasification, syngas co-production, high-efficiency methanol synthesis, new generation of methanol to olefins, carbon monoxide isothermal conversion technology and other technologies; Accelerate the research and development and application of equipment such as high-efficiency coal gasification furnaces and high-efficiency falling film evaporation technology; Promote the production of carbon dioxide in methanol, degradable plastics, dimethyl carbonate and other products; Strengthen the comprehensive utilization
of ash and slag resources。

Ammonia industry

Cutting-edge technology: Strengthen the research and demonstration
of green low-carbon energy to synthetic ammonia technology, pulverized dry coal gasification of 6.
5 MPa and above, waste pot or semi-waste pot process recovery of high-temperature gas waste heat by-product steam, and alternative to full-quenching process gas cooling and other technologies.

Mature process: Accelerate the optimization of synthetic ammonia raw material structure, large-scale air separation technology and advanced processes, supporting advanced control systems, research on renewable energy production ammonia technology, isothermal conversion furnace to replace adiabatic conversion furnace, large-scale high-efficiency compressor, carbon dioxide gas extraction urea process design and other popularization and promotion
.

Calcium carbide industry

Cutting-edge technology: strengthen the research and development and promotion and application
of calcium carbide apparent heat recovery and efficient utilization, oxygen heat method and electromagnetic method and other calcium carbide production technology.

Mature process: Accelerate the promotion of pyrolysis pellet production of calcium carbide, calcium carbide thermal recovery, calcium carbide furnace using efficient insulation materials, chemical synthesis of ethylene glycol and methanol and other products, calcium carbide thermal resource utilization technology, heat pipe technology to recover calcium carbide furnace gas waste heat and other popularization and promotion
.

Caustic soda industry

Cutting-edge technology: strengthen the research and development and application
of hydrogen storage fuel cell power generation integration device, caustic soda evaporation and alkali processing advanced technology.

Mature process: accelerate the membrane polar distance technology, ion membrane method caustic soda device for membrane electrode distance sub-membrane electrolyzer, high concentration of caustic soda and solid alkali as the main products of caustic soda enterprises to implement multi-effect evaporation energy saving, by-product hydrogen high value utilization, hydrogen chloride synthesis furnace and other popularization and promotion
.

Soda ash industry

Cutting-edge technology: strengthen the development and application
of one-step heavy ash technology, heavy alkali centrifuge filtration technology, heavy alkali pressurized filtration technology, rotary dry ammonium furnace technology and so on.

Mature process: increase the heat method of combined alkali process, wet decomposition baking soda process, underground circulation alkali production process, ammonium chloride dry gas circulation technology, heavy alkali secondary separation technology and other promotion and application; Accelerate the popularization and promotion
of belt filters to replace bowl filters, powder flow cool alkali equipment, horizontal belt filters, large cold salt crystallizers, high-efficiency exhaust gas absorption towers, and steam condensate waste heat utilization.

Ammonium phosphate industry

Cutting-edge technology: development of nitric acid method phosphate fertilizer, industrial monoammonium phosphate and co-production purification phosphoric acid technology, the use of low- and medium-grade phosphate production of agricultural ammonium polyphosphate and its composite fertilizer technology, tailings and residue acid comprehensive utilization technology, phosphate fertilizer process and waste biomass resource utilization technology coupling, etc
.

Mature process: strengthen the development and application of hemihydrate-dihydrate method/hemihydrate wet phosphoric acid process to transform the existing wet phosphoric acid production equipment of dihydrate method, new comprehensive mineral processing technology and technical equipment, and new phosphate ore acid solution process; Accelerate the development of new ammonium phosphate products such as water-soluble monoammonium phosphate containing medium and trace elements and organic-inorganic composite monoammonium phosphate, and the three-effect evaporative concentration process of ammonium phosphate pulp transformation of the existing two-effect evaporative concentration process and energy recovery technology
.

Yellow phosphorus industry

Cutting-edge technology: promote the coupling innovation of phosphorus chemical production of yellow phosphorus and coal gasification, industrially verify the key technologies and equipment such as reduction reactors and burners, improve the utilization rate of medium and low-grade phosphate ore resources, and accelerate industrial innovation and upgrading
through phosphorus-coal cogeneration.

Mature process: Accelerate the popularization and promotion
of yellow phosphorus exhaust gas sintering medium and low grade phosphate ore and fine ore technology, catalytic oxidation method and variable temperature pressure swing adsorption method purification and purification of phosphorus furnace exhaust gas, high thermal insulation material optimization of yellow phosphorus furnace body, phosphorus furnace exhaust gas for raw material drying and mud phosphorus recovery, etc.