On December 16, the Department of Ecology and Environment of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region released a public notice on its proposed decision to approve the environmental impact assessment document for the 240,000 Tons/Year High-Quality Fiber-Grade Coal-to-Ethylene Glycol (EG) Project of Hengyi Energy Technology (Turpan) Co., Ltd.
Project Name: 240,000 Tons/Year High-Quality Fiber-Grade Coal-to-Ethylene Glycol Project of Hengyi Energy Technology (Turpan) Co., Ltd.
Construction Site: Located in the Coal-Based New Material Circular Economy Industrial Park of Turpan Economic and Technological Development Zone. The central coordinates of the plant site are Longitude 89°5'8.868" E, Latitude 42°39'58.415" N.
Project Developer: Hengyi Energy Technology (Turpan) Co., Ltd.
Project Overview: This is a greenfield project with an annual output of 2.4 million tons of polyester-grade ethylene glycol. It will also co-produce 52,120 tons of ethanol, 76,000 tons of dimethyl carbonate, 32,485 tons of sulfur, 28,404 tons of liquid ammonia, and 24,500 tons of nitric acid (50% wt) per year.
The main construction contents are as follows:
1. Main Production Facilities: 10 sets of installations including coal gasification unit, shift conversion unit, low-temperature methanol washing unit, sulfur recovery unit, hydrogen and carbon monoxide separation unit, dimethyl oxalate unit, ethylene glycol unit, synthetic ammonia unit, nitric acid unit, and air separation unit.
2. Public and Auxiliary Facilities: Water supply system, circulating water station, wastewater disposal system, reclaimed water system, demineralized water station, power supply system, heat supply system, air compressor station, fire protection system, maintenance workshop, flare system, heating and ventilation system, office and living quarters, central laboratory, and telecommunication facilities.
3. Storage and Transportation Facilities: Solid material storage and handling, liquid material storage and handling, coal storage and handling, and internal roads.
4. Environmental Protection Facilities: Supporting air pollution control measures, water pollution control measures, noise control measures, environmental risk prevention measures, and solid waste temporary storage facilities.
The project covers an area of 253.75 hectares with a total investment of RMB 25,701,808,500, of which the environmental protection investment accounts for RMB 1,550,000,000 (6.03% of the total investment).
From October 22 to 23, 2025, the Process Package Kick-off Meeting for the 240,000 Tons/Year High-Quality Fiber-Grade Coal-to-EG Project of Hengyi Energy Technology (Turpan) Co., Ltd. was held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
The project adopts the complete set of EG process technology and proprietary catalysts independently developed by Pujing Chemical Technology Co., Ltd., with China Chengda Engineering Co., Ltd. undertaking the engineering design.
Taking lignite from the Aydingkol Mining Area as the raw material, the project converts coal into syngas through gasification. Part of the syngas undergoes heat recovery and is fed into the low-temperature methanol washing unit to remove sulfur and carbon dioxide impurities. It is then subjected to cryogenic separation to split into hydrogen and carbon monoxide, with the separated carbon monoxide sent to the DMO (dimethyl oxalate) unit as feedstock gas. The other part of the syngas undergoes isothermal shift conversion to adjust the hydrogen-carbon ratio, and after methanol washing, most of it is sent to the No.1 PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) unit for hydrogen purification. The purified hydrogen reacts with dimethyl oxalate produced by the DMO unit to synthesize ethylene glycol. A small portion of the hydrogen is sent to the No.2 PSA unit, and the resulting hydrogen is supplied to the ammonia synthesis unit. The liquid ammonia is then delivered to the downstream unit for nitric acid production.
Key Unit Configuration:
• Gasification Unit: 4 sets of 3,000 t/d HT-L (Haitian Maiwei) coal gasifiers, operating in 4-on-no-standby mode.
• Shift Conversion Unit: 2 series of shift conversion systems and 2 series of non-shift conversion systems.
• Gas Purification Unit: 2 series, adopting the low-temperature methanol washing technology licensed by Dalian University of Technology.
• Sulfur Recovery Unit: 2 series, using the domestic conventional three-stage Claus sulfur recovery technology.
• H₂/CO Separation Unit: 4 series, integrating cryogenic separation and PSA hydrogen purification processes.
• Dimethyl Oxalate Unit: 4 series.
• Ethylene Glycol Unit: 4 series, with a single-series capacity of 600,000 tons per year.
• Synthetic Ammonia Unit: 1 single series, with an annual capacity of 40,000 tons.
• Nitric Acid Unit: 1 single series, adopting the single-pressure process, with an annual capacity of 30,000 tons.
• Air Separation Unit: 3 series, with a single-unit oxygen production capacity of 105,000 m³/h.
Hengyi Energy Technology (Turpan) Co., Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zhejiang Hengyi Group Co., Ltd. Headquartered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, Hengyi Group is one of the world's largest chemical fiber manufacturers, boasting current production capacities of 8 million tons of oil refining, 23.2 million tons of PTA (purified terephthalic acid), 13.5 million tons of polyester, 500,000 tons of CPL (caprolactam), and 520,000 tons of nylon. By deploying the coal-to-EG project in Xinjiang, Hengyi Group aims to integrate upstream and downstream segments of the industrial chain, reduce overall production costs, and enhance the profitability resilience of its entire industrial layout.
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