Source: Sinopec News, Date: 2026-06-23
The green transformation of the petrochemical industry during the 15th Five-Year Plan is a tough task.
Ling Yiqun, Vice President of the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation, introduced that during the 14th Five-Year Plan, China’s petrochemical product structure continued to improve. The proportion of fine chemicals exceeded 50%, up 6 percentage points; output value of new chemical materials surpassed 1 trillion yuan, accounting for over 15% of the chemical industry, up 5 percentage points; environmentally friendly dyes made up 45%, up 15 percentage points; and eco-friendly coatings reached 70%, up 11.5 percentage points.
On the green and low-carbon front, gasoline and diesel fully implemented the National VI standard, and the quality of products like tires and coatings has significantly improved; energy consumption for key products like refining, ethylene, synthetic ammonia, and methanol decreased by 2%–6% compared to 2020; comprehensive utilization of phosphogypsum was 65%, chemical recycling of waste plastics increased significantly, water reuse rate reached 94%, and key enterprises reused over 75% of their wastewater; the national standard for ultra-low industrial flue gas emissions was implemented, the removal rate of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in key enterprises exceeded 90%, and disposal of hazardous waste was fully standardized.
During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, with the tightening of the 'dual carbon' energy-saving constraints, China’s petrochemical industry faces a tough task in green transformation. The main goals for green and low-carbon development are: reducing CO2 emissions by 12% per unit of key product value added, cutting energy consumption by 10%, and peaking total carbon emissions; integrating the industry into the national carbon emissions trading market, and nurturing a number of zero-carbon factories and zero-carbon parks; continuously reducing VOCs emissions, significantly improving the capability and level of comprehensive solid waste management, and achieving 100% harmless treatment of phosphogypsum. The key tasks are vigorously developing the circular economy, promoting energy-saving and emission-reduction and carbon-cutting upgrades, strengthening pollution prevention and control, and fully advancing green manufacturing.
Speeding up the development of emerging and future industries helps drive green transformation. In fine chemicals, the focus is on developing high-end reagents, rubber additives, plastic additives, adhesives, surfactants, food additives, feed additives, water treatment agents, construction chemicals, and lubricant additives. In biosynthesis, the focus is on developing biocatalysts and enzyme preparations, bio-based bulk chemicals, biomaterials, and biomass energy industries. In hydrogen energy, the focus is on lowering hydrogen production costs, optimizing hydrogen storage technologies, improving hydrogen transportation efficiency, and exploring applications for hydrogen.
Innovating Low-Carbon Chemical Processes: Methanol Can Play a Key Role
Liu Zhongmin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and director of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that we are currently in a period of major transformation. The energy revolution is about improving the efficiency of fossil fuel use and achieving a shift to new energy sources, which requires new principles and technologies. The industrial revolution is about reshaping long-established industrial processes under stricter carbon emission constraints, which needs new theories and methods for guidance. Driving both the energy and industrial revolutions fundamentally relies on the science and technology revolution, and artificial intelligence offers unprecedented opportunities.
Most of China's carbon emissions come from energy production, industrial use, and transportation and buildings. Solutions include pushing forward the energy revolution by leveraging the complementary advantages of various energy sources and building a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient energy system; innovating industrial processes with new ideas and methods; and promoting electrification in transportation and energy-saving renovations in buildings.
The chemical industry has high carbon emissions, with one-third coming from indirect emissions through electricity and heat use, and two-thirds from combustion and process emissions. At the same time, with the explosive growth of electric vehicles, the demand for refined oil is dropping, leading to a reduced scale of oil processing, which will cause a shortage of petrochemical raw materials (like naphtha). This makes it urgent to explore new petrochemical feedstocks and develop low-carbon upgrading technologies for the chemical industry.
Methanol can play an important role. By using catalytic technology, the strongly exothermic reaction of methanol conversion can be coupled with the strongly endothermic reaction of naphtha conversion, which not only greatly reduces energy consumption but also increases the yield of chemical products. This type of technology, when combined with coal-to-liquid processes, disrupts traditional olefin and aromatic production methods, freeing them from reliance on naphtha. At the same time, it eliminates the need for high-energy-consuming acetylene, creating a new industrial chain of oxygen-containing compounds.
The team led by Academician Liu Zhongmin has developed third-generation methanol-to-olefins technology that is internationally leading, with 4 commercial plants in operation and an olefin production capacity of 4 million tons per year. They pioneered the dimethyl ether to ethanol process via methyl acetate and achieved the world’s first industrial demonstration, with 6 commercial plants running and a capacity of 2.15 million tons per year. The methanol-to-propylene technology they developed consumes 2.6–2.7 tons of methanol to produce 1 ton of olefins (ethylene + propylene + 1-butene).
We’ve developed a low-carbon technology to co-produce para-xylene (PX) from methanol and toluene. The conversions of toluene and methanol are high, PX selectivity in xylene is close to 95%, and we don’t need adsorption separation—just primary crystallization is enough to get high-purity PX.
We’ve also developed a methanol-naphtha coupled technology for producing aromatics. By coupling reactions in situ, it significantly reduces energy consumption and increases aromatics yield, upgrading the petrochemical route for aromatics production. A demonstration plant by China Energy Group for million-ton-level methanol-naphtha aromatics production will be completed by the end of this year.
For olefins, we’ve developed a methanol-naphtha coupled technology as well. Methanol and naphtha are converted on the same catalyst and in the same unit, achieving heat and reaction coupling, which can cut cracking temperatures by about 200°C and boost olefin yields by over 10 percentage points.
On top of that, the team is working on other efficient, low-carbon new technologies, like coupling naphtha with CO₂ to make aromatics, coupling methanol gasoline for olefins, coupling methanol gasoline for aromatics, and producing methyl glycolate and downstream products from methanol acetal carbonylation.
Sustainable Polymer Materials: Reducing Carbon Emissions Throughout the Plastics Industry Lifecycle
Wang Yuzhong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a professor at Sichuan University, said that the global plastics industry produces 1.3 to 2 billion tons of CO2 equivalent annually over its entire lifecycle, accounting for 3.4% to 4.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions. In China, the annual carbon emissions from the full lifecycle of the plastics industry are about 560 million tons, roughly 5% of the country's total carbon emissions.
Because of this, Wang Yuzhong proposed developing sustainable polymer materials. These materials would have at least one of the following features throughout their full lifecycle—including raw material sourcing, synthesis, processing, use, and disposal: renewable raw materials, green and low-carbon processes, self-healing, aging resistance and environmental tolerance, recyclability/chemical reuse, easy upgrading and recovery, or environmental degradability. The goal is to reduce dependence on non-renewable fossil resources and lessen the environmental impact of polymers and related technologies.
The value of recycled polymer materials is what drives their recycling. If we only consider the recycling aspect, "chemically recyclable over and over" is the ideal way to recover them. But in reality, we also have to take into account other factors like cost-effectiveness and environmental friendliness. So, it’s important to design polymer materials that can be chemically recycled repeatedly right from the start.
The team led by Academician Wang Yuzhong developed functional PET (polyethylene terephthalate) that can be easily chemically recycled. They designed copolymer monomers that combine functional features with catalytic recycling ability, solving both performance needs during use and recycling challenges after disposal. Modified polyester fabrics integrate functions like flame retardancy and smoke suppression, UV blocking, antibacterial, anti-static properties, far-infrared emission, and self-repair, while also allowing self-catalyzed glycolysis, methanolysis, and hydrolysis. Notably, glycolysis of copolyester reaches nearly 100% conversion, with efficient separation and recovery of monomers, whereas PET under the same conditions only reaches less than 3% conversion.
They also developed ultra-low smoke/heat release flame-retardant polycarbonate (PC) that can withstand flames over 1400°C. It’s suitable for high-temperature fire-resistant applications inside vehicles (like battery casings), meets aircraft interior material standards, can be chemically recycled in a closed loop, and retains flame-retardant properties after monomers are recovered and re-polymerized.
When designing materials for single-use polymer products, the goal is to balance necessary performance, easy chemical recyclability, and degradability. The team has developed a series of recyclable biodegradable polymer materials.
Among them, the high-performance PBS (polybutylene succinate) copolyester, which is suitable for blow molding and spinning recycling, has excellent spinnability and can be used in textiles, disposable medical protective gear, hygiene products, and filtration materials. Polyethylene glycol oxalate is low-cost, naturally degradable, chemically recyclable, strong, and heat-resistant, making it highly promising for packaging, food service, and agricultural applications. High-toughness polylactic acid copolyesters meet the performance requirements for high-end medical and engineering materials. Poly(p-dioxanone) originates from widely available raw materials, has high strength and toughness, good spinnability, can be easily extruded or injection-molded, 3D-printed, or blow-molded, and can be efficiently recycled back into monomers under relatively mild conditions. It also biodegrades well in the environment, making it an ideal material for single-use polymer products.
Innovation in Transfer Process Principles: A New Energy-Saving Path for the Polymer Materials Industry
Qu Jinping, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a professor at South China University of Technology and Huazhong University of Science and Technology, said that although China's production of polymer products has been growing year by year, the industry's core technology models have long been stagnating. This has led to high energy consumption and material damage, which are increasingly unable to meet the strict green and low-carbon requirements of the 15th Five-Year Plan period. A technological revolution is urgently needed.
In the polymer materials industry chain, from reactive mixing to pelletizing and then molding, each key step is tightly locked by "shear," keeping energy consumption high and causing irreversible material damage. Breaking free from the constraints of shear rheology has become an important direction for industry development.
Extreme rheological materials have already reached the limits of shear-mode capability, and shifting to more efficient and energy-saving processing methods is a technological hurdle that must be crossed.
Unlike shear rheology, which strongly depends on the material's viscosity, extensional rheology is characterized by positive displacement transport. Its processing capability is basically not restricted by rheological parameters, effectively broadening material adaptability, reducing energy consumption during processing, and opening new paths for the development of the polymer industry.
At the same deformation rate, dispersed particles in the polymer matrix mix and disperse more than 10 times better in an extensional flow field than in a shear flow field. So, during melt processing, extensional flow offers a significant advantage for the mixing and dispersion of polymer composites.
Academician Qu Jinping's team pioneered new principles such as forced-deformation positive displacement transport, and based on the principle of this transfer process, they achieved technological integration and breakthroughs in key technologies across the entire industry chain.
The team achieved rapid, efficient, and continuous synthesis of high-purity, high-molecular-weight polylactic acid, cutting costs and reducing processing energy consumption. They also accomplished efficient melt processing and molding of UHMWPE (ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene), boosting production efficiency by more than 10 times. Their one-step extensional deformation continuous rubber mixing technology is highly efficient, low-energy, and continuous, allowing reinforcing fillers to disperse uniformly in the rubber matrix in just 1.5 minutes. They also made breakthroughs in producing multilayer composite ultra-thin high-strength ground films that still exceed the mechanical performance standards in national regulations after use, allowing for easy peeling and full recycling. The team continuously produced isotropic LCP (liquid crystal polymer) films, solving the “bottleneck” issue for 5G/6G antenna module LCP films. They successfully achieved high-value utilization of phosphogypsum on production lines, which not only processed solid waste but also reduced material costs.
In addition, the team has realized continuous production of high-solid-content energetic materials, wet preparation of polyethylene battery separators, efficient manufacturing of polyolefin composite microporous films, long-lasting radiative cooling UHMWPE films, acid and alkali-resistant biomimetic superhydrophobic flame-retardant materials, all-weather energy harvesting and recycling materials, and efficient manufacturing of biomimetic industrial water and vapor recovery systems.
Biosynthesis and Manufacturing: Boosting Industry Upgrade and Creating New Business Models
Huang He, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of Nanjing Normal University, said that synthetic biology is an interdisciplinary science combining biology, genomics, engineering, and informatics. It can create artificial life and serves as a sharp tool for biomanufacturing.
Biomanufacturing is a future industry recognized by the country. Synthetic biology can deliberately modify life forms, becoming the core driving force for enhancing the competitiveness of biomanufacturing.
Huang pointed out that the advantage of synthetic biology lies in its scientific research value and its leading role in business development. Take the Nobel Prize in synthetic biology as an example: the average waiting time for the Nobel Prize is over 30 years. But in 2012, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna successfully decoded the working principle of CRISPR gene editing (commonly called 'gene scissors'). They founded gene-editing-related companies in 2013 and 2014, with market values of $4.03 billion and $2.133 billion, respectively. They eventually won the Nobel Prize in 2020.
Synthetic biology can also create new industries. For example, making 'sugar' through synthetic biology. Sucrose is an underrated health threat, and no-sugar or low-sugar diets have become a global health trend. But sugar triggers dopamine release, bringing happiness—so it really is all about sweet enjoyment. Thus, companies need to keep developing sugar substitutes as sweeteners.
Xylitol is one of the most common sugar substitutes, but it’s toxic to pets. Yuanqi Forest was the first to use a more expensive sweetener, erythritol, on a large scale in bottled drinks, turning it into a hit. Erythritol is a natural sugar alcohol with a sweetness of 60%–70% that of sucrose. It’s low in calories, highly tolerable and safe for humans, but it occurs naturally in very small amounts and costs up to 70,000 yuan per ton to extract. Synthetic biology has reduced the production cost to 20,000 yuan per ton, making pricey products more affordable. The erythritol market has grown rapidly, boosting the domestic sugar substitute market and making it flourish.
Synthetic biology can also revolutionize traditional manufacturing. For example, the production of "sialic acid" through synthetic biology. Natural bird’s nest has been used as food and medicine since ancient times and is considered a premium health supplement. But natural bird’s nest is expensive, with top-grade nests costing up to 120,000 yuan per kilogram, and consuming it is complicated; from soaking and cleaning to cooking, it takes 6–8 hours, which deters consumers looking for convenience.
Sialic acid is the main active component in bird’s nest, and its content is a standard for determining bird’s nest quality. In top-grade nests, sialic acid content is >10% and protein content is >50%. The U.S. FDA has approved sialic acid for use in infant formula and regular food. China has also approved it as a new food ingredient.
Synthetic biology has made sialic acid an affordable "golden nutrient" for ordinary people. The sialic acid produced by a 120-cubic-meter fermenter in half a month is equivalent to what you’d get from 70 tons of bird’s nest, bringing the cost down from 1 million yuan/kg from natural extraction to 3,000 yuan/kg. "The swallows from the old Wang and Xie mansions now fly into ordinary homes"—China’s bird’s nest market has skyrocketed, exceeding 30 billion yuan in 2024, a 25.8% increase from the previous year.
Huang said that synthetic biology has touched most industries in the national economy. The involvement of biotech can drive industrial transformation and the emergence of new business formats. Biosynthesis and manufacturing based on synthetic biology are becoming major forces driving change.
In the future, domestic independent innovation needs to speed up. Developing a new generation of droplet microfluidics high-throughput screening equipment will help China’s biomanufacturing industry break the monopoly of foreign strains. The CRISPR system still lacks efficient base editing tools; using AI to accelerate the development of base editors that can modify target sequences could enable high-efficiency base editing in microbes and cells.
