Increased coal-to-olefins processes in China

摘要

China's significant domestic supply of coal, combined with a domestic shortage of several key chemical feedstocks, especially ethylene and propylene, are driving increased Chinese demand for more production of chemical feedstocks from coal, according to a new IHS study that assessed the key technologies and economics of coal-to-olefins (CTO) processes employed in China. The study noted that, in 2011, China had an ethylene capacity of 15.7 MMt and production of 14.4 MMt. On the demand side, China's total ethylene equivalent consumption (including imports of first-order derivatives such as polyethylene) far exceeded its domestic ethylene supply. China imported nearly 8 million tons of polyethylene alone in 2011, accounting for 42% of total Chinese demand.