List of Major Coal-to-Chemical and Petrochemical Projects in China (Investment Over RMB 5 Billion) 

Project List Overview

The table below lists the major coal-to-chemical and petrochemical projects across China with investments exceeding RMB 5 billion, covering project name, location, investment amount, current status, and main products. 

Detailed explanation of key projects

Northwest Region Projects

Shenhua Baotou Coal-to-Olefin Upgrade Demonstration Project:

Located in Jiuyuan Industrial Park, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, this project upgrades the first coal-to-olefin demonstration unit. Total investment: RMB 17.15 billion. Upon completion, the project will achieve an annual production of 2 million tons of coal-to-methanol and 750,000 tons of methanol-to-olefin, converting 7.8 million tons of coal per year. The project uses Hangyang 2×105,000 m³/h air separation units to achieve deep integration of coal chemical production with green electricity, green hydrogen, and green oxygen. It also includes environmental facilities such as biochemical wastewater treatment and wastewater reuse units. Construction began in August 2025.

Shaanxi Coal Yulin Chemical Coal High-Efficiency Clean Conversion Project:

Located in Yulin, Shaanxi Province, it is part of the 15 million t/a coal quality utilization demonstration project. Phase II, Stage 1 mainly includes 5.6 million t/a coal-to-methanol, 1.5 million t/a methanol-to-olefin, and downstream deep processing units producing 8 products including polyethylene, polypropylene, EVA, and SAP, totaling 2.77 million t/a. The project includes a 12,000 Nm³/h water electrolysis hydrogen unit, producing 12,000 Nm³/h hydrogen and 6,000 Nm³/h oxygen annually. Construction is planned to start in October 2025, with partial delivery in May 2027.

Yanchang Petroleum Xinghua Yushen Chemical Relocation Project:

Located in Yulin, Shaanxi Province, investment: RMB 8.9 billion. Units include 500,000 t/a coal-to-synthetic ammonia, 2×360,000 t/a dilute nitric acid, 860,000 t/a ammonium nitrate, 500,000 t/a nitro compound fertilizer, 20,000 t/a electronic grade nitric acid, 10,000 t/a electronic grade ammonia series, and 200,000 t/a liquid CO₂. The project entered critical construction phase in 2025, setting a record for early-stage advancement speed in Yanchang Petroleum Group projects.

North and Northeast China Projects

Hengyuan Carbon Material Needle Coke Capacity Expansion Project:

Located in East China (province not disclosed), investment exceeds RMB 1 billion. The project utilizes approximately 30 acres of idle land to expand an existing 300,000 t/a needle coke unit, producing needle coke using aromatic-rich oil as feedstock. After completion, needle coke capacity will increase to 250,000 t/a, with by-products including dry gas, coker gasoline, coker LPG, coker diesel, and coker wax oil. Construction period: 2025–2026.

Duolun Coal Chemical Maintenance Project, Inner Mongolia:

Located in Duolun County, Inner Mongolia, the project involves comprehensive maintenance of existing units with 460,000 t/a capacity. Planned duration: September 2025 to September 2030 (1,825 calendar days). Scope includes comprehensive maintenance of production units, living areas, and implementation of “low-old-bad” and 6S projects.

East and Central-South China Projects

Xinjiang Xuanli Coal Tar Phenol Green Extraction Project:

Located in Naomaohu Economic and Technological Development Zone, Xinjiang, with total investment of RMB 1.071 billion. This is China’s first large-scale green fine-processing coal tar phenol project, using by-products from Xuanli Environmental Protection 500,000 t/a medium-low temperature coal tar distillation and hydrogenation unit as feedstock. Adopting green phenol extraction technology, it produces high-value phenolic resin and cresols. Annual capacity: 13,600 t phenolic resin, 6,700 t o-cresol, 22,300 t m- & p-cresol. The project has entered substantial construction phase.

Industry Development Trends and Recommendations

Based on collected project information, the following trends are observed in China’s coal chemical and petrochemical industry:

Scale and Clustering: Project scales are expanding, forming industrial clusters in Yulin, Baotou, Ningdong, etc.

High-End and Differentiation: Products are evolving from basic chemicals to high-end new materials and specialty chemicals, e.g., high-performance materials, battery electrolyte solvents, biodegradable materials.

Green and Low-Carbon: Greater emphasis on environmental protection and low-carbon development, e.g., Shenhua Baotou project integrates coal chemical production with green electricity, hydrogen, and oxygen; Xinjiang Xuanli uses green phenol extraction technology.

Technological Upgrades and Innovation: Advanced technologies are applied to improve resource efficiency and product value, e.g., coal research institute’s green phenol technology.

Notes:

Investment and construction status of these large projects may change over time. It is recommended to:

Verify latest project progress through official channels (local government development departments, project owner websites) before making investment or business decisions.

Monitor national industrial and environmental policies, which may significantly impact projects.

Note that investment amounts usually do not include operational working capital, land costs, etc., and actual total investment may exceed published figures.