Large Scale Integration Of Plants And Refinery, PTA High Quality Development Conference (Xiangtan Jintian 2019), Changsha On The Market Situation

"Independence cold autumn, Xiangjiang to the north, orange Chau tou." "Eagle strikes the sky, the fish shallows the shallow bottom, and all kinds of frost days compete for freedom. When I ask the boundless land, who will dominate? A classic "Qinyuan spring Changsha" wrote heroic meteorology.


Nowadays, China's PTA industry can be described as a "Flying Eagle" spirit. Whether from the level of equipment, technology, or scale of production, product quality, and comprehensive competitiveness, the Chinese PTA industry, which has "laughed at the global PTA", really has a "ask the vast earth, who will dominate?" Like heroic.


On the morning of October 18th, China's chemical fiber industry association, the PTA branch of China Chemical Fiber Industry Association (hereinafter referred to as "PTA branch") and the Hunan Hunan xiangtian science and technology Refco Group Ltd hosted the "China PTA industry high quality development conference (Xiangtan Jintian 2019)", which was held in Changsha, China. The conference aims at grasping the new technology, new pattern, new mode and new trend of PTA industry, promoting the development and transformation of new technology and new technology, and promoting futures and other financial instruments to better serve the real economy, thus further promoting the high quality development of PTA industry in China.


Jiang Shicheng, academician of the Chinese Academy of engineering, Chen Xinwei, vice president of China Chemical Fiber Industry Association, Zhou Hui, chairman of Hunan Jintian technology Refco Group Ltd, and other representatives from the chairman, vice chairman and honorary chairman of the PTA branch, as well as representatives from PTA production, trading enterprises and polyester industry chain representatives from home and abroad.


The economic situation of China's chemical fiber industry was analyzed, and relevant prediction and prospect were made. Zhao Rui, a researcher of Marketing Institute of Sinopec Institute of economic and technological research, introduced the macro development mode and trend from PX to polyester industry chain; Yang Sheng, deputy general manager of Hunan Jintian science and technology Refco Group Ltd, introduced the development and production of PTA high-performance corrosion resistant titanium materials; Wang Huansong, director of the Institute of light industry environmental protection, introduced the content and implementation process of the reform of China's sewage permit system; Cheng Youwei, Professor of chemistry engineering and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University, introduced the latest progress of PTA cleaner production technology; the chief engineer of Huzhou BaoTi Long Li titanium welding technology Co., Ltd. sent an invitation to the delegates to the "high quality development conference of China's PTA industry". At the meeting, Wu Wenjing, director of Information Department of China Chemical Fiber Industry Association


In the afternoon of October 18th, we also held the "green PTA Technology Development Forum of China" and the "round table forum of China's PTA market and futures service industry under the new pattern".


PTA industry technology "driving force" is very strong.


PTA is a downstream product of crude oil. It is one of the basic raw materials of the textile industry. It is the most important raw material for the production of polyester products. More than 95% of the world's PTA is used for the production of polyester. In the past 15 years or so, from the high degree of external dependence to the leading position of the global PTA industry, the development of PTA industry in our country can be seen by leaps and bounds in terms of the comprehensive competitiveness of technology, equipment, product quality and overall scale. At present, China is the largest producer and consumer of PTA in the world.


In reviewing the development process of PTA industry in China, Jiang Shicheng pointed out that since 2006, private enterprises have entered the PTA industry, and the supply structure of China's PTA industry has improved. In 2011, the capacity of PTA industry has achieved rapid growth, and has gradually entered the stage of relative surplus capacity, and the industry competition has become more intense. Since 2015, the PTA industry has entered the integration stage.


Zhao Rui pointed out that after the huge expansion of domestic PTA capacity, the import volume of PTA was rapidly reduced. In 2016, China's PTA was converted from net imports to net exports, with over 90% of the remaining imports being processed by incoming materials. The integration, merger and reorganization of the PTA industry began in 2015 and completed by the end of 2018.


In 2018, China's PTA effective capacity reached 45 million 790 thousand tons, the output was 40 million 800 thousand tons, the self-sufficiency rate reached 99.8%. The industry formed Hengli petrochemical, Rongsheng group, Tong Kun group, Heng Yi group, Sheng Hong group, new Feng Ming and other large leading enterprises, the overall development situation is good.


Among them, Yisheng and Hengyi jointly invested Yisheng Petrochemical Company is the leader of PTA industry in China. Yisheng Petrochemical currently has PTA capacity of 13 million 500 thousand tons, while new projects with annual capacity of 6 million tons are under construction. It is estimated that the PTA capacity of Yisheng Petrochemical Company will move towards 20 million tons after the new project is completed and put into operation. Hengli Petrochemical's current PTA capacity is 6 million 600 thousand tons (actual capacity is about 7 million tons), and new projects are being built in Changxing Island, Dalian. The PTA production capacity of the Tong Kun group is about 4 million 200 thousand tons, and it will also build a new PTA project with an annual output of 5 million tons in Nantong, Jiangsu.


"The development and expansion of the PTA industry not only enriches the raw material supply of China's polyester industry, but also provides stable raw materials for the polyester industry, and reduces the fluctuation risk of the prices of chemical fiber raw materials, which is conducive to the sustained and stable development of China's polyester industry chain. At the same time, with the rapid development of PTA industry, many industries such as equipment, finance, futures and other industries have also been concerned about the development of PTA industry. Jiang Shi Cheng said.


Technological progress is one of the most important factors to support the rapid development of the industry. Especially in recent years, the changes brought by technological progress even exceed the imagination of many people in the industry. According to introducing, at present, the production technology of PTA includes the technology of Weida, BP technology and so on.


"The PTA device is large-scale and integrated, and the characteristics of PTA technology assimilation are obvious." When it comes to the development of technology in domestic PTA industry, there is a saying.


In fact, the development of large-scale and integrated devices is also a common feeling among the people in the industry. "Now, the annual capacity of the single line device can basically reach 2 million 500 thousand tons ~300 million tons. Now large enterprises are very competitive, it is estimated that by 2020, with the commissioning of new devices, some small devices will be eliminated, and the new devices will be fewer. An industry insider is so impressed.


At the same time, the rapid progress of technology has also brought about a reduction in the cost of investment in production equipment. Guo Zengshan, China technology licensing manager of BP petrochemical, said that if BP technology is used to invest in the PTA production plant with an annual output of 3 million tons, the investment is expected to be 3 billion yuan. "10 years ago, the investment cost of this level was almost unthinkable." People in the industry are so impressed.


It is noteworthy that although the overall development situation is still good, but in specific terms, in different time intervals, the operation of PTA industry will show different characteristics.


Wu Wenjing pointed out that in recent two years, there are more and more factors affecting the operation of the polyester market, and the correlation between market prices and oil prices has weakened. The PTA spot market is similar. In the second half of last year, the market of chemical fiber was like roller coaster, especially polyester polyester industry, which was affected by crude oil price and other factors. In 2019, the operation pressure of the chemical fiber industry increased significantly, and some indicators showed downward trend. Under the complex environment, the market was more sensitive and the fluctuation increased. Specifically to PTA, since 2018, the PTA market supply side has less pressure to release, the market supply and demand is in a "tight balance" state, and the effective start-up rate of the device is relatively high. Recently, the domestic PTA industry has 3 sets of equipment put into operation, next year will usher in the peak period of PTA project.


"At present, the processing fee of PTA is about 600 yuan / ton, and the efficiency of the enterprise is still fine. But what will happen next year?" One industry insider said so.


The characteristics of high efficiency and low energy consumption in the industry are outstanding.


With the competitive advantage becoming more and more concentrated on large enterprises, the characteristics of large-scale development of PTA industry are more and more obvious. On the basis of the increasing efficiency of large-scale production facilities, the level of cleaner production in the PTA industry is also getting higher and higher, and the energy consumption level keeps decreasing.


Cheng Youwei pointed out: "everyone can reduce the energy consumption that can be reduced. They are all eating and drying." even the processing fee per ton of PTA can be less than 500 yuan, which can be said to have done the best. Near zero discharge technology, catalyst recovery technology and recycling technology of solid waste have been well applied. Of course, this is another way to show that PTA technology is beginning to meet the ceiling.


Guo Zengshan, China technology licensing manager of BP petrochemical, said: "low carbonization is already a global trend. When China's PTA production capacity continues to expand, and at the same time reduce carbon emissions, what should we do? We must constantly improve efficiency and continuously improve the level of energy conservation and emission reduction.


However, it is worth noting that under the current competitive situation, on the one hand, the single line production capacity of PTA technology and production equipment is constantly increasing. On the other hand, the original PTA device with an annual capacity of less than 600 thousand tons has gradually lost market competitiveness, and some small devices have stopped. Although the survival of the fittest is the inevitable rule of the development of the market economy, but if we continue to promote the development of low carbon industries in the whole industry, how to realize the efficient utilization of resources and whether the devices that can be stopped can realize "value reengineering" and whether it can be reopened is worth considering in the industry.


In this regard, it has been pointed out that if we can reuse these small devices and develop products that are needed in the future, such as the production of PIA products, this is also a good cleaner production. "According to our calculations and experiments, a set of idle PTA devices with an annual output of 600 thousand tons can transform 400 thousand tons of PIA production equipment by adult production." Cheng Youwei said.


It is reported that PIA is an important organic chemical raw material. It is a raw material, additive and modifier for producing new high-performance materials. It can comprehensively enhance the performance and quality of products, and is in line with the positioning of high value-added chemical industry. The development of PIA industry can enhance the development in transportation, construction, specialty fibers, polyester, environmental protection coatings and other fields. The main producing areas of PIA in the world are in Japan, the United States, South Korea and Taiwan, China, with a total capacity of about 1 million 200 thousand tons. In China, only Yanshan Petrochemical produces PIA at present, with an annual capacity of 50 thousand tons. At present, China imports about 350 thousand tons of PIA products every year, and there is still a gap in the supply of PIA in the domestic market.


Cui Guogang, senior engineer of China Kunlun Engineering Co., Ltd., relying on the existing PTA device to transform and switch to PIA, is currently the mainstream way of PIA devices in the world, which can significantly reduce the investment cost of the device. In order to meet the demand for PIA production, the emphasis is to improve the details in terms of reaction rate, viscosity, solubility and other physical properties, and solve the series problems caused by longer reaction time, smaller particle size, greater viscosity, more impurities, easier plugging, and higher COD sewage.


"If some 600 thousand tons / year PTA plant is transformed into a PIA production plant, these devices can avoid the fate of being eliminated. It can be said that not only has economic benefits, but also social benefits. PIA is the isomer of PTA, and its reaction principle and physical and chemical properties are similar. Although the output of PIA is still very limited, we need to prepare for future market growth. It is estimated that by 2025, the potential market for domestic PIA will have at least 1 million tons. Cui Guogang said.


Centralized operation of refinery and chemical integration projects triggering changes


Talking about PTA is inseparable from talking about PX. PX is an important raw material for the production of PTA. At present, the world's PX is mainly used to produce PTA. But for a long time, there is a big gap in the capacity of PX in China, and the dependence on foreign trade is very high. In 2018, China's PX imports remained relatively high, at 58.6%.


It is noteworthy that in recent years, with the continuous breakthroughs in China's PX key technologies and the decentralization of project approval authority, a large number of large-scale private chemical fiber enterprises in China continue to promote the integrated development of "refining -PX-PTA- polyester chemical fiber". In particular, several new PX projects have been put into production this year, which gradually relieved the shortage of PX in China.


Zhao Rui pointed out that the continuous growth of demand for polyester in the downstream market has directly stimulated and supported the sustained development of PX industry. According to introduction, in 2016 ~2018, the operation rate of PX installations in China was 83%, which was 69% in 2019, and the figure is expected to be 71% in 2020.


Meanwhile, changes in China's PX market have led to changes in the global PX industry chain structure. In the past two years, 80% of the total PX capacity in the world has expanded from PX capacity in China for two consecutive years.


According to Zhao Rui, from the perspective of the proportion of China's PX production capacity to the global PX capacity, the proportion of ~2018 in 2016 is 27%, and the proportion of 2019~2020 is estimated to be 37%. From the perspective of the proportion of China's PX consumption in the global PX consumption, the proportion of ~2018 in 2016 was 59%, and the proportion of ~2020 in 2019 was estimated to be 63%. Correspondingly, the external dependence of PX in China is decreasing year by year, the figure in 2018 is 59%, the figure in 2019 is 48%, and in 2020 it is expected to be 30%.


Wu Wenjing pointed out that in the past two years, the investment of polyester polyester industry in China has extended to the upstream area. The development trend of "refining and chemical integration" is obvious, and the capacity is further concentrated on leading enterprises. Global PX production capacity will be released gradually. Zhejiang Petrochemical Company, Hengyi Brunei PMB petrochemical project, Hengli refining and chemical integration project, Sheng Hong's 4 refining and chemical projects will be gradually put into operation in 2~3, and the total capacity of the 4 sets of equipment will total nearly 13 million tons. The total capacity of China's PX will be doubled in the next 5 years, thus breaking the bottleneck of raw material supply in polyester industry.


"From the cost point of view, large scale refinery projects will soon be put into operation. With the release of domestic PX output, the low cost of domestic integrated refineries will further reduce the processing error of PX, which will suppress the price of PTA and polyester from the cost side. Wu Wenjing said.


Overall, a number of guests pointed out that with the promotion of large-scale domestic refining and chemical integration projects, the profit of industrial chain will be transferred to PTA and polyester links, and the profit distribution of aromatics industry chain will be more balanced.


"In the future, the degree of integration of the industrial chain will be further deepened, and the 3 links of" PX-PTA- polyester "will enjoy an overall profit growth, but the profit space will be redistributed. Enterprises that have "PX-PTA- polyester" fully integrated industrial chain will maintain a clear competitive advantage. Wu Wenjing said.


Titanium materials will open the new era of PTA installation.


The conference was held in Changsha, so that the "host" Hunan Xiang Tian Jin Technology Refco Group Ltd attracted the attention of the industry.


PTA is China's largest production and consumption of organic chemicals, high-performance corrosion resistant titanium plate and titanium pipe is one of the necessary raw materials for the construction of PTA device, is a very good anti-corrosion material.


Yang Sheng introduced that the process of PTA production involves complex chemical processes such as mixing, hydrogen production, reaction, evaporation, condensation, extraction, separation, drying, and finished product packaging. In these processes, liquid phase transport, gas phase transportation, gas-liquid miscible transportation, solid-liquid slurry transportation, solid powder transportation and other very complex process, coupled with the production process of high temperature, high pressure, strong corrosion process medium, so the device and other chemical devices compared with significant features.


It is understood that domestic and foreign PTA production equipment used a large number of titanium materials, titanium pipe has good corrosion resistance, high reliability and long life, in the device is mainly used in all kinds of condenser and heat exchanger heat exchanger tube.


In September this year, the achievement of "PTA high performance corrosion resistant titanium welded pipe development and localization" project, completed by Hunan Xiang Tian Jin Technology Refco Group Ltd, was approved by the Ministry of science and technology development of the China Federation of textile industry.


According to the introduction, the group developed the special core technology for cold rolling strip of titanium and titanium alloy, broke through the complete set of key technology of the 20 roll mill in our country, realized the batch stable production of low hydrogen and low iron coil, developed the technology of forming deformation and springback compensation for titanium pipe, and met the technical requirements of titanium pipe for PTA device. The titanium pipe with high efficiency was developed for the first time in China, and the titanium alloy heat exchanger tube was strengthened by heteromorphism and multi-dimensional structure. Its products are tested by chemical composition, metallographic structure, mechanical properties, process performance test, dimension and accuracy check and NDT. All indexes meet the requirements of PTA titanium tube standard and ASTMB338 standard, and can replace seamless titanium tubes for PTA heat exchange. The expert group believes that the results are innovative, with independent intellectual property rights, reaching the international advanced level, breaking the long-term dependence on imports of titanium welded pipes in China, and achieving the independence of the whole industry chain of low hydrogen and low iron titanium products.


Jiang Shicheng said that PTA used high performance corrosion resistant titanium welded pipe to break the long-term dependence on imports of titanium welded pipe, and achieved the independence of the whole industry chain of low hydrogen and low iron titanium products. PTA production enterprises can focus on expanding the application of the product in the industry.


At the same time, because of the complete industrial chain of "sponge titanium titanium ingot titanium coil roll welded pipe", the technology industry is leading, the application field is extensive, the production scale is large, the factory is neat, the operation standard, the production and inspection and other advanced equipment. In the "China PTA industry high quality development conference (Xiangtan Jintian 2019)", Hunan Xiangtou Jintian technology Refco Group Ltd has been awarded the "PTA high-performance corrosion resistant titanium production base".


Zhou Hui said that with the application of titanium and titanium alloy in the PTA plant and the development of titanium and PTA advanced fiber composites, the titanium industry and the PTA industry have been closely linked together to usher in new opportunities for development. After 10 years of accumulation, development and innovation, the group already has an international advanced and domestic first-class titanium industry platform, and has become one of the top three titanium enterprises in China. The core technology products of the group's large volume, heavy and wide titanium strip, high performance titanium welded pipe and high performance titanium alloy bar have filled the domestic blank and broken the monopoly abroad. Group products have successfully entered the "national team" square, become the core suppliers of large aircraft, nuclear power, warships and other strategic markets, but also the international market in the energy, sea water desalination, marine engineering and other fields of high-performance titanium and titanium pipe China's only supplier. At present, the technology of forming deformation and springback compensation for titanium welded pipe developed by the group meets the technical requirements of titanium welded pipe used in PTA plant.


"The group will lead the development of titanium components in PTA devices with a strong platform, leading technology and advanced equipment, improve the level of PTA devices in China, and further promote the high quality development of PTA industry in China." Zhou Hui said.