CNPC launches China's first full-chain green, low-carbon ethylene project

BEIJING, July 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from chinadaily.com.cn:

China National Petroleum Corporation on Thursday officially put into operation the Tarim 1.2 MTA Phase II Ethylene Project and its supporting green and low-carbon demonstration facility in Korla, Bayingolin Mongolian autonomous prefecture, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. This marks the launch of the country's first full-chain green and low-carbon ethylene project.

As the first demonstration project in China's petrochemical industry to apply green and low-carbon development principles throughout the entire production chain, it combines renewable energy, carbon capture and the high-value utilization of by-products. The project is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 1.37 million metric tons annually, equivalent to the carbon sequestration capacity of 5.48 million mu, or about 365,333 hectares, of forest.

The project features several technological breakthroughs. It directly uses renewable energy generated by Tarim Oilfield's photovoltaic facilities, with around 1 billion kilowatt-hours of green electricity supplied to the complex each year. It has also completed the construction of the world's second and China's first domestically developed electric-driven system for the three major ethylene compressors, shifting from thermal to electric power.

In addition, it has adopted a first-of-its-kind integrated carbon capture technology in China to recover low-concentration carbon dioxide from cracking furnace flue gas that would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere. The captured CO₂ and recovered by-product hydrogen are reused in the production process, forming a closed-loop low-carbon industrial chain that connects green power, carbon capture, blue hydrogen, blue ammonia and lower-carbon fertilizer production.

The project also reflects China's growing technological strength. Of its 11 major production units, ten use homegrown technologies — nine of which come from CNPC, and five have been applied at industrial scale for the first time. The overall localization rate of the project has reached 99 percent, with full localization achieved for several units, including hydrogenation of pyrolysis gasoline and butadiene rubber. The project also marks a breakthrough in the domestic manufacture of large-scale extrusion and pelletizing units.

With the project now in operation, it is expected to help fill gaps in the production of high-end polyolefins, synthetic rubber and other advanced materials in southern Xinjiang, while supporting the growth of downstream 100-billion-yuan industrial clusters. It is also projected to contribute to regional economic development and create employment opportunities in Korla and surrounding areas.

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SOURCE chinadaily.com.cn