Successful Start-up of First in China 100 kt/a Commercial Demonstration High-Temperature Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Unit

On September 19, 2018, the 100 kt/a commercial demonstration high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis unit, constructed by the Shaanxi Future Energy Chemical Company, Ltd. (FECC), came on stream successfully at the first attempt and had been operating continuously and smoothly for 168 hours at full load. It is told that this is the first commercial demonstration hightemperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis unit built in China with completely independent intellectual property rights.The commissioning of this demonstration unit evidences that the high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis technology has fully met the industrialization conditions.The operating data of this demonstration unit have revealed that this unit has achieved a CO conversion of over 99% at reaction temperatures in the range of 300—370 ℃ to substantially surpass the design targets. The syngas conversion rate is 92%, and the olefin content reaches over 60%to make up a dominant share of synthesis products, with the carbon number distribution of liquid phase products being mainly concentrated at less than C20hydrocarbons. It is learned that FECC has adopted its self-developed high temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis technology in the commercial demonstration unit while innovatively launching its latest gizmos, viz.: the iron-based catalyst and the fixed fluidized bed reactor, featuring low equipment investment cost, high catalyst activity, low specific consumption of materials that can be switched over online, good production stability, high on-stream factor of equipment, and low operating and maintenance costs. Since the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process is carried out at high temperature, the unit can co-generate a 4.0-MPa high-pressure steam, which is conducive to the comprehensive utilization of energy and reduction of specific energy consumption on unit weight of product.