The biggest methanol production plant on the planet has opened, with Johnson Matthey catalyst and process technology at its heart.
The company has announced the successful commissioning of Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group’s 6600 mtpd methanol plant at their 600 kta coal to olefins complex near Yinchuan, in Ningxia Province, China.
The new methanol plant, which quickly hit full rates following start-up, has the largest output of any such plant in the world.
Led by specialists on hand from JM’s Beijing team and, due to Covid, remote support provided from the UK, the commissioning was a milestone in the two-year collaboration between the two companies.
It represented JM’s seventh operating licence with a plant capacity greater than 5500 mtpd in China, and the first JM methanol project to use Chinese fabricated radial steam raising converters and compressors throughout.
The JM designed methanol production plant takes syngas as a feed and combines advanced JM catalysts to produce stabilised methanol as a product, which is used to produce olefins in a downstream unit.
The contract for the new plant was awarded to JM by Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group in 2017 and included a licence for the 2200 kta methanol synthesis flowsheet, associated engineering, technical review, commissioning assistance and catalyst.
It is the second JM methanol design licensed by Ningxia Baofeng Energy following the Baofeng methanol synthesis unit commissioned in 2014.
Mr. Liu Yuanguan, President of Baofeng Energy, said: “This project has incorporated processing technologies from the most advanced international and domestic coal to chemical units.
“The unit is the largest methanol plant for a single train with comprehensive advantages of high synthesis and energy efficiency and low OPEX and emissions, benefiting both our society and providing long term value.”
JM’s managing director John Gordon said: “We congratulate Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group on the successful start-up of this new ground-breaking methanol plant and are honoured to have been a part of this shared effort.
“Commissioning the unit during these unprecedented times speaks to the resilience and dedication of our teams. This a further testament to Johnson Matthey’s commitment and leadership in delivery of efficient large-scale methanol manufacturing.”
