SINOPEC Zhongyuan Petrochemical Corp. Ltd has strengthened end‑cycle operation management of its MTO (Methanol‑to‑Olefins) unit since the beginning of this year. By continuously optimizing process parameters and enhancing energy‑efficiency management, the unit achieved its all‑time‑low energy consumption for ethylene‑propylene (dual olefins) in June.
Faced with the unit entering its late service cycle, the company rolled out systematic countermeasures. It collected rationalization proposals from all staff and organized special technical seminars to conduct in‑depth root‑cause analysis. Comprehensive solutions covering process optimization, technical revamping and operational adjustment were formulated and implemented.
Targeting excessive energy consumption in the production wastewater treatment system, a joint task‑force team was set up. By gradually cutting steam consumption, the product steam stripper was completely shut down. After putting the inorganic membrane filtration system into service, a stable steam saving of 1 ton per hour was realized. Sustained technical research greatly improved the efficiency of the quench system, bringing down both steam and power consumption.
SINOPEC Zhongyuan Petrochemical Corp. Ltd was jointly funded and constructed by the former China National Petroleum Corporation and the People’s Government of Henan Province as a key national project under the Eighth Five‑Year Plan. Located in the High‑tech Zone of Puyang City, it covers a site area of 1.73 million square meters. The project was approved in 1987, construction started in 1991 and commissioning took place in 1996. It was incorporated into Sinopec Group in 1998 and merged into China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation in January 2005.
The registered capital totals RMB 2.4 billion. Sinopec Group holds 94.99 %, Henan Science and Technology Investment Co., Ltd. holds 3.51 %, and Zhongyuan Bank Co., Ltd. holds 1.50 %. Adopting flat organizational management, the company consists of 11 functional departments, six operation divisions and five business centers.
It is China’s only enterprise operating two ethylene production routes simultaneously: naphtha‑based petrochemical route and coal‑to‑chemical route. Its new and old production systems comprise 11 process units plus supporting utility and auxiliary facilities.
The older system follows the petrochemical pathway, including a 200 000 tons‑per‑annum ethylene unit, 260 000 tons‑per‑annum polyethylene unit, 60 000 tons‑per‑annum polypropylene unit, 100 000 tons‑per‑annum gasoline hydrotreating unit, 100 000 tons‑per‑annum benzene extraction unit, 50 000 tons‑per‑annum mixed C4 unit, 60 000 tons‑per‑annum catalytic cracking‑to‑olefins unit, and a 4 678 Nm³/h PSA hydrogen‑production unit.
The new system represents the coal‑chemical pathway. It includes Sinopec’s first 600 000 tons‑per‑annum S‑MTO demonstration unit commissioned in October 2011, a supporting 100 000 tons‑per‑annum polypropylene unit, and a 100 000 tons‑per‑annum ethylene monomer export unit. Combined capacity of the two routes reaches 300 000 tons of ethylene, 160 000 tons of propylene and 6 000 tons of hydrogen annually.
Main products cover polyethylene, polypropylene and by‑products such as benzene, MTBE, hydrogen and 1‑butene. It has driven the growth of numerous surrounding chemical enterprises and made outstanding contributions to the advancement of petrochemical and coal‑chemical industries.
Since commissioning, the company has won a series of awards: one First‑Class Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award, Special‑Class Prize of Sinopec Science and Technology Progress Award, one Second‑Class Prize of the National Technological Invention Award, one First‑Class and two Third‑Class Prizes of Sinopec Science and Technology Progress Award, one First‑Class, one Second‑Class and one Third‑Class Prize of Sinopec Technological Invention Award, together with four other provincial‑ministerial‑level honors. It has also been recognized by Sinopec for work safety, innovation performance, energy conservation and environmental protection, and accredited as Henan Provincial Environmental Education Base and Demonstration Enterprise for Cleaner Production & Green Manufacturing System Development.
