As oil prices continue to rise, biofuels are coming to the spring. Can methanol and ethanol be used as automobile fuels instead of Petroleum? Is there an opportunity for coal ethanol production? How many projects are underway?

One
Poisonous? It's a fuel, not a drink!

Recently, the use of methanol as fuel for automobiles has aroused heated debate. Many people think that methanol is poisonous and unfit to be used as fuel. In this regard, Geely Holding Group Chairman Li Shufu said: “ this view is somewhat irresponsible, in fact, the national standard "occupation of exposure to toxic substances classification (GBZ230— 2010)", methanol and gasoline are slight harm poison, even harm index is also slightly lower than the methanol gasoline. Of course, if you drink methanol, you're sure to be poisoned, and you drink gasoline and diesel, too. After all, it's a fuel, not a drink. ”
Two
Is ethanol gasoline OK?

Compared to methanol, ethanol has been widely recognized as a vehicle fuel. In September 13, 2017, the national development and Reform Commission, the National Energy Bureau and other fifteen departments jointly issued "on the expansion of bio fuel ethanol production and promote the use of ethanol gasoline in the implementation of the programme", clearly in 2020, to promote the use of ethanol gasoline in the country, the basic realization of full coverage.
In 2016 data, the apparent consumption of 1.2 tons in 2016 Chinese gasoline, gasoline consumption is about 1 tons, according to the proportion of 10%, fuel ethanol demand of about 10 million tons, and in 2016 China fuel ethanol production was 2 million 600 thousand tons, 7 million 400 thousand tons of fuel ethanol demand gap. In the future, if the vehicle gasoline consumption continues to grow or the proportion of ethanol increased, the ethanol demand gap will be further expanded.
At present most of the industrial production of fuel ethanol from biomass as raw material, but since 2015, the national policy of grain ethanol support reduced biomass fuel ethanol subsidies gradually cancelled, the consumption tax levied each year to restore this strengthened, coal based ethanol's competitiveness to a certain extent, with coal (syngas) ethanol industrialization demonstration the success of the project put into production, coal preparation of fuel ethanol is expected to usher in development opportunities.
Three
A good day for making ethanol from coal?

Under the new situation, coal (synthetic gas) ethanol production, coal chemical enterprises are concerned. China Coal ethanol annual report 2017 data show that there are a variety of routes to achieve the conversion from coal to ethanol:
Microbial fermentation of 1. coal based syngas
Synthesis of methyl acetate by carbonylation of 2. two methyl ether and hydrogenation of methyl acetate to ethanol
Direct hydrogenation of 3. acetic acid
Hydrogenation of 4. acetic acid
Synthesis of ethanol by direct synthesis of 5. syngas
Four
Value chain of coal to ethanol

"Annual report 2017" China coal based ethanol data show that as of October 2017, Serra, Tangshan in science and technology, nice solution Kailing chemical, Thorpe group, Henan, Tangshan SHUNDA chemical dissolving technology and extension of seven enterprises in Xinghua have been built coal (syngas) industrialization demonstration project as raw material to produce ethanol or coke oven gas another 8 projects in the preparatory work or plan.
Five
Progress of ethanol production from 15 coal (synthetic gas) projects in China in 2017

Progress of China's project to build coal (synthetic gas) to ethanol in 2017
1. Hebei Shoulang new energy science and technology limited company 45 thousand tons of iron and steel industry gas fermentation fuel ethanol made by project, located in Caofeidian Industrial Zone, Shougang Jingtang steel joint limited liability company plant in the region, the project by the Hebei provincial development and Reform Commission approved the construction in March 2016, is currently in the preparatory work.
2. Henan SHUNDA chemical new 200 thousand tons / year acetic acid direct hydrogenation to ethanol project, located in Zhumadian industrial agglomeration area Henan Shunda Chemical Technology Co., Ltd. in the factory area, the project in 2017 September carried out the second EIA publicity.
3. Puyang - Amperex Technology Limited 1 million tons ethanol project, coke and acetic acid as raw materials, coke gasification, the acetic acid hydrogenation process of ethanol production, the production scale of 1 million tons ethanol, a production of 400 thousand tons ethanol in December 2016 for the first time, the project EIA publicity.
4. Henan Province Gas Group Yima gasification plant 100 thousand tons / year acetic acid hydrogenation to ethanol project, the use of Shanxi Coal Chemical Research Institute developed technology, the project is in the early stage work.
5. Tangshan dissolved science and Technology Co., Ltd. annual output of 300 thousand tons of anhydrous ethanol project, acetic acid and coke oven gas as raw material to produce ethanol, the project a phase of 100 thousand tons / year anhydrous ethanol in June 2017 put into production, the two phase of 200 thousand tons / year anhydrous ethanol in the planning.
6. Yankuang Lunan Chemical 100 thousand tons / year acetic acid ethanol project in planning.
7. Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Yulin Coal Chemical Co., Ltd. 200 thousand tons / year acetic acid hydrogenation to ethanol project in the planning.
8. Shaanxi extension Xinghua company new plan 500 thousand tons / year gas synthesis by acetic acid esterification hydrogenation to ethanol project, after the extension of Xinghua 100 thousand tons of synthetic gas ethanol project was successfully put into operation in July 2017.
Ran
Source: sub chemical coal chemical industry, China Automotive Network
Sorting out by Xiao bian.