China's First Green and Low-Carbon Ethylene Unit Achieves Major Technological Breakthrough

On 22 December, China's first ethylene electrolysis furnace sidestream unit — independently developed and constructed by HuanQiu Corporation under an EPC contract — successfully commenced operation. The milestone represents a significant breakthrough in China National Petroleum Corporation's (CNPC) development of green and low-carbon ethylene technology.

The project forms part of the Group Corporation's Major Scientific and Technological Special Project for Green and Low-Carbon Ethylene Technology R&D and Industrial Application (Phase III of the Large Ethylene Project). Led by HuanQiu Corporation, the initiative brought together Dushanzi Petrochemical, the Sinopec Research Institute of Petroleum Processing, and other institutions, culminating in successful industrial application at Dushanzi Petrochemical. The unit began feedstock processing on 14 December and achieved a successful first-time start-up. After continuous operation, it completed cracking tests on three feedstocks — propylene, ethylene, and liquefied petroleum gas — with all core technical indicators reaching excellent levels.

In recent years, following the successful implementation of Phases I and II of the large-scale ethylene project, HuanQiu Corporation, with strong support from China Petroleum Engineering, completed the design and construction of an electric heating test platform in 2022. In 2024, supported by the Group's Science and Technology Management Department, HuanQiu spearheaded the major scientific and technological project Green and Low-Carbon Ethylene Technology R&D and Industrial Application, undertaking Sub-project 1: R&D of Novel Ethylene Electrolytic Cracking Furnace Technology and Side-Line Testing. Construction of the pilot facility at Dushanzi Petrochemical began in May 2025, followed by a smooth handover on 15 November. After four years of sustained efforts, the sidestream test unit of the electric cracking furnace achieved successful operation at 11:18 on 14 December. The commissioning process was conducted entirely through intelligent control systems, enabling highly efficient, precise, and controllable heating, with outstanding performance recorded in key indicators such as ethylene cracking yield.

Compared with conventional fuel-fired cracking furnaces, electric cracking furnace technology eliminates flue gas emissions from fuel combustion at the source. When combined with green electricity, it enables near-zero carbon emissions during the cracking process. The application of intelligent, real-time, and precise heating control during the cracking reaction aligns fully with development requirements for advanced technology, green energy utilisation, and intelligent process control.