Total and CPI join forces to study a coal-to-olefins petrochemical project in China
Total and China Power Investment (CPI) announced their intention to build a coal-based petrochemical plant in China. The two companies signed a letter of understanding (LOU) in Paris during the state visit of the Chinese president, Hu Jintao, to study the construction of a world scale plant in coal-rich Inner Mongolia.
Total will bring to this partnership its expertise in the methanol to olefins (MTO) and the olefin cracking process (OCP) technology that Total Petrochemicals has tested extensively at its purpose-built semi-commercial plant in Feluy , Belgium. Total will also study solutions on how to capture and store CO2 using the know-how gained from its CCS pilot project in Lacq, France.
Following the signature of the LOU, both companies will now launch a feasibility study. The investment for the plant, which is due to start production after 2015, is estimated at €2-3 billion.
The MTO technology allows the production of propylene and ethylene from methanol, which can be obtained from various feedstocks such as natural gas, coal or biomass.
In combination with the OCP process, it allows a very high yield of polyolefin production.
“This project is part of Total’s strategy of transforming fossil or renewable resources into petroleum or petrochemical fractions, in particular by using gasification processes,” said François Cornélis, president of chemicals for Total.
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