Total, Chinese firm eye coal-based olefins

Nov. 9, 2010
Total SA and China Power Investment Corp. have agreed to study construction of a petrochemical plant based on methanol derived from coal in China.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Nov. 9
-- Total SA and China Power Investment Corp. have agreed to study construction of a petrochemical plant based on methanol derived from coal in China.

They signed a letter of understanding in a step toward construction of a facility in Inner Mongolia that would produce 1 million tonnes/year of polyolefins, starting after 2015.

Total said it would contribute expertise in producing olefins from methanol as well as an olefins-cracking process it has tested at a purpose-built semicommercial plant in Feluy, Belgium. It also will study capture and storage of carbon dioxide with knowledge it has gained from a pilot project in Lacq, France.