China Petroleum Guangxi Petrochemical Company Successfully Starts Up 1.2 Million Tons Per Year Ethylene Unit

At 14:38 on October 26, the 1.2 million tons/year ethylene unit of PetroChina Guangxi Petrochemical Company was officially fed with materials, and at 2:41 on October 27, qualified products were produced, marking the successful startup of the unit in one go. This key milestone signifies the company's complete transition from a "fuel-type" refinery to an integrated refining and chemical enterprise focused on "chemical products and organic materials," and accelerates the upgrade of the petrochemical industry in the southwest region into a new industrial ecosystem characterized by "leading enterprises driving cluster development."

The picture shows the 1.2 million tons/year ethylene facility of PetroChina Guangxi Petrochemical Company. Photo by Wang Fang.

The device is contracted by China Huanqiu Engineering Co., Ltd. and uses China's independently owned large-scale ethylene technology with complete sets of processes. It can produce 1.2 million tons of polymer-grade ethylene, 616,000 tons of polymer-grade propylene, 400,000 tons of hydrogenated gasoline, and 35,000 tons of styrene annually. Additionally, it produces by-products such as hydrogen, cracked C5, C9, and more than 20 other types of chemical raw materials, products, and semi-finished products.

After the commissioning of the facility, Guangxi Petrochemical will reduce oil product output by 3.49 million tons annually and increase chemical product output by 3.06 million tons, with high-end membrane materials, pipe materials, and other products directly filling the domestic supply gap.

Since the commencement of construction in July 2023, the construction team has faced the climatic challenges of high temperatures, frequent rain, and typhoons in the Beibu Gulf. Collaborating with relevant participating units, they achieved the milestone of having the foundation above ground in just 8 months and met the goal of "soil-free" construction in 3 months. They successfully tackled the challenges of hoisting extremely large and heavy equipment, precisely positioning the 2nd propylene tower, with a net weight of 1760 tons, safely and accurately. This has set a benchmark for engineering project construction by China National Petroleum Corporation.

As China's first benchmark project transitioning from refining to integrated refining and chemical production, the Guangxi Petrochemical Ethylene Project is centered around this facility, which is supported by the construction of 14 chemical units, 2 refining units, and auxiliary facilities, all scheduled for full completion on July 14, 2025. The project not only promotes Guangxi's shift from basic chemicals to high-end chemical new materials industry but also leverages the new western land-sea corridor to radiate to the southwestern, southern China, and ASEAN markets. It aims to help create a trillion-level green chemical new materials industry cluster facing ASEAN, driving the development of downstream industries such as packaging, building materials, and automotive, and promoting the formation of a new industrial ecosystem in the southwest region characterized by "leading enterprises driving development and cluster growth."