On January 4, the bidding results for key sections of the 10-million-ton/year ethylene refining and chemical integration project in Yueyang were announced. Sinopec Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd. successfully won the bid for the first section, providing seven process technology licenses and high-tech services for six core units of the project. This marks a substantial step forward in the construction of the largest single industrial project in Hunan to date. The core units covered by this bidding include a 10-million-ton/year ethylene unit, a butadiene extraction unit, a pyrolysis gasoline hydrogenation unit, an aromatic extraction unit, an aromatic-to-benzene unit, and an MTBE/butene-1 unit. The process technology services involved are directly related to the project's core production capacity and product quality. As a leading enterprise in petrochemical technology, Sinopec Science and Technology's successful bid will provide independent technological support for the project, helping to overcome technical bottlenecks in key areas.

It is reported that the Yueyang ethylene project has a total investment of 35.68 billion yuan, covering two major parts: the 10-million-ton/year ethylene main project and the supporting refinery renovation. The ethylene main project will involve the construction of 14 new chemical units, distributed in the Changling New Area and the Baling Old Area. The Changling New Area will host 10 core units, including a 10-million-ton/year ethylene unit, a 300,000-ton/year EVA unit, and a 400,000-ton/year high-density polyethylene (HDPE) unit. The Baling Old Area will build four new units, including a C5 separation unit, a propylene oxide unit, and a bisphenol A unit, forming industrial synergy with existing epoxy resin and synthetic rubber units.

The supporting refinery renovation project will include the construction of a 3-million-ton/year hydrocrackinging combined unit and other facilities, while upgrading the No. 2 atmospheric and vacuum distillation unit to 10 million tons/year and phasing out two outdated refining units. This aligns with the industry's development direction of "reducing oil production and increasing chemical production." Following the "oil-to-chemicals" development approach, the project is expected to reduce the refined oil yield in Hunan's petrochemical industry from 70% to 51%, increase product added value by 25%, and reduce energy consumption by approximately 15%.

As a key ethylene refining and chemical integration base in central China, the project will not only enable the local supply of 1.7 million tons/year of chemical raw materials but also significantly improve the local supporting rate of chemical new materials for Hunan's advantageous industries, such as engineering machinery and rail transit. It is expected to drive over 150 billion yuan in upstream and downstream investments, laying a core foundation for the construction of Hunan's trillion-yuan modern petrochemical industry system.