China Chemical Fiber Industry: "World Champion" Hidden Trouble To Be Solved

After more than 50 years of development, China's chemical fiber industry has been on the throne of the world champion: in 2007, its industrial output and production capacity exceeded half of that of the world.

But the rise in crude oil prices has cast a shadow over the development of the industry.

"In the case of raw material costs accounting for 87% of production costs and rising oil prices, China's chemical fiber industry continues to digest the pressure of oil prices and the ability to pmit cost pressures downstream."

At the fourteenth China International Chemical fiber conference held in Hangzhou recently, Zheng Zhiyi, President of China Chemical Fiber Industry Association, said that the urgent task for China's chemical fiber industry is to take the road of technological progress, especially to save energy and reduce consumption.

There are worries behind the world champion.

Chemical fiber industry plays an important role in national economy and people's livelihood.

In 2007, China's chemical fiber production capacity reached 25 million 720 thousand tons, the output of 23 million 900 thousand tons, and two indicators exceeded half of the world.

In those days, chemical fiber accounted for 67% of the total textile raw materials in the country.

With the expansion of production capacity, industrial competitiveness is improving.

In 2007, China's chemical fiber exports exceeded imports for the first time and net exports of 433 thousand and 100 tons a year.

The total export volume of downstream chemical fiber textiles was 3 million 796 thousand tons, an increase of 10.2% over the same period last year, and the total export volume reached 16 billion 860 million US dollars, up 18.4% over the same period last year.

Zheng Zhiyi analyzed that the increase in export volume was higher than that in the total export volume, indicating that China's chemical fiber textile exports increased significantly.

And the industrial structure is also optimized. The trend of capacity concentrating on large enterprises, markets and private enterprises is basically in place.

By the end of 2007, there were 111 chemical enterprises producing more than 50 thousand tons a year, with a total capacity of 20 million 650 thousand tons, accounting for more than 80% of the total capacity.

At present, there are 29 listed companies in the national chemical fiber industry, and 14 have entered the process to prepare for listing.

But the expansion of capacity also makes China's chemical fiber raw materials high dependence on foreign trade.

Dr. Zhao Qingzhang, vice president of the Chinese Academy of textile science, said that the import of main chemical fiber raw materials was 14 million 65 thousand tons in 2007.

Of which ethylene glycol 49.69%, PTA34.13%, because some factors are covered by the industrial chain extension and statistical caliber, so the actual import volume is greater.

Oil shortage leads to soaring prices of chemical fiber raw materials. It is necessary to find sustainable alternatives in the long run.

Zheng Zhiyi analyzed that the technological progress of China's chemical fiber industry was obvious, and the results of structural upgrading were remarkable, but some deep-seated contradictions and problems also gradually emerged.

For example, serious shortage of raw materials, increasing cost pressure, shortening the operation cycle of the industry, diversifying the market competition, the overall technological level is still lagging behind the developed countries, and the industrial structure can not meet the needs of the increasingly complex situation of the two domestic and international markets. But the most important thing is that environmental pressure no longer supports the sustainable and rapid development of China's chemical fiber industry.

Energy saving and emission reduction encounter hard bones

For these hidden worries, Zheng Zhiyi believes that the growth mode of China's chemical fiber industry must realize the fundamental pformation from quantitative development to quality and efficiency development as soon as possible, and achieve "technological progress, industrial upgrading, circular economy and environmental friendliness", while the symbolic work is to do well in energy conservation and emission reduction.

After entering the twenty-first Century, the speed of energy saving and emission reduction in China's chemical fiber industry is accelerating.

According to the statistics of China Chemical Fiber Industry Association, the total unit consumption in 2007 dropped by 38.4% compared with 2000, the electricity consumption per unit consumption dropped by 42.1%, the fuel coal consumption decreased by 35.8%, and the unit water consumption decreased by 23%.

At the same time, the comprehensive utilization rate of industrial solid waste in the whole industry increased from 89.1% in 2004 to 96.5% in 2006.

Unit wastewater discharge dropped from 16 tons / ton in 2005 to 12.2 tons / ton in 2007.

The total amount of COD emissions dropped from 119 thousand and 100 tons in 2005 to 117 thousand and 300 tons in 2007, and the unit emissions decreased from 75.2 kg / ton to 51.4 kg / ton.

In this regard, Zheng Zhiyi said that China's chemical fiber industry has the ability to solve the problem of energy conservation and emission reduction.

At present, the total volume of quality assets in the whole industry has accounted for 70% of the capacity of the whole industry. They are the main force of China's chemical fiber industry and the main participants in the work of "energy conservation and emission reduction". Moreover, the development of the world's technology and economy has also provided the possibility of commercialization of energy saving and emission reduction by using new and high technology.

However, there will be a lot of hard work ahead of the energy saving and emission reduction work of China's chemical fiber industry.

According to the white paper published by the China Chemical Fiber Industry Association, "China's chemical fiber industry development and environmental protection", the waste gas treatment work has a long way to go, such as sulphur dioxide, carbon disulfide, hydrogen sulfide and dust and other aspects of governance is the top priority, and it is likely to drag down the work of energy saving and emission reduction.

Can green roadmap be realized?

The "white paper on development of China's chemical fiber industry and environmental protection" also determined the energy saving and emission reduction targets by 2010. By 2010, the consumption of China's chemical fiber industry will drop from 742.5 kilograms of standard coal in 2005 to 519.5 kilograms of standard coal. The unit water intake will drop by 43.5% over the same period last year, the whole industry will save 2.4 million tons compared with 2005, the comprehensive utilization rate of solid waste can be increased to 98%, and the amount of water discharged from the waste water will decrease 41.3% compared with the same period last year, and the total discharge of COD will be 42.3% lower than that of 2005.

The green line has become a consensus in the international fiber industry.

Japan is more dependent on imported crude oil from chemical fiber industry.

Nishimura Masao, vice president and director of the Japan Chemical Fiber Industry Association, said that from 1973 to 2006, the energy consumption of Japan's chemical fiber industry was reduced by 50%, and the target of reducing energy consumption by 10% in 1990 was basically achieved in 2006.

And how to achieve this "green roadmap"?

Zheng Zhiyi believes that it is particularly important for enterprises to change their investment concepts.

"In 2007, the actual fixed investment of China's chemical fiber industry amounted to 20 billion 300 million yuan, but 68% concentrated on the growth of production capacity. The proportion of energy saving and emission reduction and technological pformation accounted for only 15%. If the proportion increased to more than 40%, especially the investment in energy saving and emission reduction can be increased by more than 20%, it will play a greater role."

Xu Kunyuan, vice president of China Textile Industry Association and honorary president of China Chemical Fiber Industry Association, also said that energy saving and emission reduction is an opportunity for chemical fiber textile enterprises to improve their product quality and enrich their products.

However, according to their research, many energy saving and emission reduction technologies and projects can be recovered after 1 to 3 years. Especially, a batch of technologies and projects that save coal, save electricity, save oil and save water will greatly promote the chemical fiber textile enterprises.

It is reported that China Chemical Fiber Association has recruited 90 technologies and projects for energy conservation and emission reduction nationwide.

In addition, the association has signed contracts with the relevant departments of the state to jointly study the measures for energy saving and emission reduction in China's chemical fiber industry, and tentatively envisaged the use of such economic means as taxation, environmental insurance, green credit, tariffs and state investment to promote this work. At the same time, the standard of environmental protection, laws, regulations and regulations should be adopted to raise the bottom line of environmental protection, accelerate the elimination of backward processes and equipment, and encourage the development of environmental protection, cleanliness, new technology and new equipment.