CTGPC's 1 Million-Ton Dimethyl Ether Project Kicks off in Shaanxi Province

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The foundation-laying ceremony for the Weibei Dongcheng 1 million-ton dimethyl ether project, the first coal-chemical project of the China Three Gorges Project Corporation (CTGPC) (Yichang, Hubei), was held at Pucheng City in northwestern China's Shaanxi Province on October 15. This marks that the strategic cooperation between the CTGPC and Shaanxi Coal & Chemical Industry Group Company Limited (Shaanxi Coal) (Xi'an) has achieved material progress.

The project is located at the northern Guanzhong hi-tech development zone, the most developed economic region in Shaanxi province. The project will adopt advanced technology, processes and equipment, which will be low in energy consumption and create fewer emissions.

Since signing the strategic cooperation agreement with the government of Shaanxi province on September 24, 2007, the CTGPC has been actively exploring the development of cooperative projects with Shaanxi Coal. As a clean energy group mainly based on the development and operation of large-scaled hydropower, entry into the coal-chemical industry will be an important development for CTGPC

The dimethyl ether project is to be jointly invested by the CTGPC and Shaanxi Coal. Using coal as a raw material and advanced clean coal-gasification technology as its core, the project has an annual production capacity of 1.5 million metric tons of methanol and 1 million metric tons of dimethyl ether. The projects has an estimated total investment value of $1.15 billion. Construction will last 36 months, and the plant is expected to begin operation in 2011.

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