Ethylene Glycol (EG) is an important organic chemical raw material, mainly used for the production of polyester resins and antifreeze. It can also produce unsaturated polyester resins, lubricants, plasticizers, non-ionic surfactants and explosives. Wait.
At present, major ethylene glycol manufacturers at home and abroad have adopted the ethylene oxide direct hydrochemical process route. In recent years, with the strong demand for ethylene glycol from polyester fibers, polyester plastics and antifreeze, manufacturers have begun to work on the research and development of new synthesis technologies for ethylene glycol. Among them, Ethylene Oxide Catalyzed Hydration and Ethylene Carbonate are two industrialized production processes that are considered to be the most promising.
Global ethylene glycol production and demand rise
In recent years, with the rapid growth in the consumption of polyester products, the production of ethylene glycol in the world has developed rapidly. In 2000, the global ethylene glycol production capacity was 14.230 million tons/year, and in 2006 it reached 19.955 million tons/year, with an average annual growth of 5.4%. Dow Chemical, Sabic, and Shell Chemicals are the top three ethylene glycol manufacturers in the world, accounting for 13.60%, 11.76%, and 7.11% of the world's total production capacity.
In 2006, the total consumption of ethylene glycol in the world was 17.010 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 5.95%. Asia, North America, and Western Europe were the major consumer regions, accounting for approximately 91.93% of the world's total consumption. Among them, consumption in Asia was 10.648 million tons/year, accounting for 62.60%; consumption in North America was 3.239 million tons/year, accounting for 19.04%; consumption in Western Europe was 1.75 million tons/year, accounting for 10.29%. About 81.5% of the world's ethylene glycol products are used for the production of polyester, 12.0% for the production of antifreeze, and 6.5% for the production of chemical intermediates and alkyd resins.
In 2006, the total import of ethylene glycol in the world was 7.85 million tons, of which Asia was the most important import region, importing 6.427 million tons, accounting for 82.44% of the total imports; followed by North America, importing 478,000 tons/year, accounting for 6.09%. In 2006, the total amount of ethylene glycol in the world was 8.04 million tons, of which the Middle East was the most important export region, with 3.702 million tons of exports, accounting for about 46.04% of the total exports; followed by Canada, the export volume was 1,200,000. t/year, accounting for 1..92%.
It is estimated that in the next few years, the world's ethylene glycol demand will increase at an average annual rate of 5%, and the total demand will reach 21.718 million tons in 2011. Among them, the average annual growth rate of demand in Central and Eastern Europe will reach 15.6%, and the consumption will increase from 41.0 million tons in 2006 to 848 million tons in 2011. Second, in the Middle East, the annual growth rate of consumption will reach 14.5%, and the consumption will increase from 482,000 tons in 2006 to 949,000 tons in 2011.
The domestic supply exceeds supply leads to construction boom
In recent years, the production of ethylene glycol in our country has achieved rapid development. At present, China has a total of 12 ethylene glycol production enterprises with a total production capacity of 2.078 million tons per year. Among them, 7 are owned by Sinopec and their total production capacity is 1.429 million tons/year, accounting for approximately 68.77% of China's total ethylene glycol production capacity. PetroChina has 4 companies with a total production capacity of 329,000 tons/year, accounting for approximately 15.83% of the production capacity; 1 of CNOOC, with a production capacity of 32.0 million tons/year, accounting for 15.40% of the total domestic production capacity. Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company is currently the largest ethylene glycol producer in China with a production capacity of 605,000 tons/year, accounting for 29.11% of the total domestic ethylene glycol production capacity.
With the continuous growth of the production capacity of ethylene glycol in China, the output has also increased continuously. In 2001, the production of ethylene glycol in our country was 949,100 tons. In 2006, it increased to 1,560,000 tons. From 2001 to 2006, the average annual growth rate of production was about 14.08%.
Although the production capacity and output of ethylene glycol in our country have been growing faster, it still cannot meet the growing demand in the domestic market. It needs a lot of imports each year, and the import volume is increasing year by year. According to customs statistics, in 2000, the import volume of ethylene glycol in China was only 1.0497 million tons. In 2006, it reached 4.0613 million tons, and the import dependency was as high as 72.26%. From 2000 to 2006, China’s ethylene glycol imports increased by an average of 25.3% annually. In addition to Canada, South Korea, China Taiwan, Japan and the United States and other countries and regions, the share of Saudi Arabia's ethylene glycol in the Chinese market is growing rapidly. In 2005, Saudi Arabia exported 1.2 million tons of ethylene glycol to China, increasing to 1.54 million tons in 2006, an increase of 28.3% year-on-year, accounting for 36.9% of China's total imports.
In recent years, a huge market gap and good prospects for development have caused an upsurge in the construction of glycol plants in China. It is estimated that by 2008, the total production capacity of ethylene glycol in China will reach 2.68 million tons/year, and in 2010 it will reach 4.20 million tons/year, which will relieve the contradiction between the supply and demand of ethylene glycol in China to some extent.
Polyester industry spurs soaring consumption of ethylene glycol
In recent years, due to the rapid growth of the domestic polyester industry, the consumption of ethylene glycol has increased rapidly. In 2000, the apparent consumption of ethylene glycol in China reached 1,957,100 tons. The apparent consumption of that year exceeded 3 million tons and reached 3.019 million tons, exceeding the United States as the world's largest consumer of ethylene glycol. In 2006, the apparent consumption of ethylene glycol in China reached 5.622 million tons, an increase of 10.46% year-on-year. From 2000 to 2006, the average annual growth rate of the apparent consumption of ethylene glycol in our country was approximately 19.22%.
At present, China's ethylene glycol products are mainly used for the production of polyester resins, antifreezes and adhesives, paint solvents, cold lubricants, surfactants, and polyester polyols. Among them, polyester resin is the main consumption field of ethylene glycol in China, its consumption accounts for about 94.0% of the total domestic consumption, and about 6.0% is used for the production of other products.
In recent years, the production of China's polyester resin has developed rapidly. In 2000, the production capacity was only 59.000 tons per year, in 2004 it was 16.50 million tons per year, and in 2006 it increased to 23.50 million tons per year. In 2004, the output of China's polyester resin was 11.70 million tons, and the consumption of ethylene glycol was about 4.1 million tons. In 2006, the output was about 151.0 million tons, and the consumption of ethylene glycol was 5.290 million tons.
According to the prediction of China Polyester Association, China's polyester resin production in 2008 will reach 17.30 million tons, and the demand for ethylene glycol will reach 6.05 million tons. In 2010, the output of polyester resin will reach 19 million tons, and the demand for ethylene glycol will reach 6.65 million tons by that time. In addition to the consumption of antifreeze and other aspects, it is expected that in 2008 China's total demand for ethylene glycol will reach 6.36 million tons, and in 2010 it will reach 7.10 million tons.
Need to introduce technology and expand application areas
According to the current state of the domestic ethylene glycol plant under construction or under construction, even if the plant is operating at full capacity, it will not be able to meet the domestic market demand. It still needs a lot of imports. Ethylene glycol has a very good development prospect in China.
Due to the excess production capacity of ethylene glycol in the global scope, it will lead to more foreign products, especially Saudi Arabia and North American products, flowing into China, thus making China's ethylene glycol production face severe challenges. At present, in addition to considering the adoption of advanced technologies for tapping and renovating existing facilities and expanding the scale of production of equipment, domestic ethylene glycol manufacturers are recommended to introduce advanced foreign technologies and then build several new large-scale ethylene glycols with a production scale of 300,000 tons/year or more. The production equipment will fundamentally ease the contradiction between the supply and demand of ethylene glycol in China and enhance the competitiveness of ethylene glycol in domestic and foreign markets. Experts pointed out that ethylene oxide catalytic hydration can greatly reduce the water ratio, save energy, and reduce production costs. The ethylene carbonate method can only produce ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate products by simply increasing the reaction step for producing ethylene carbonate, which represents the future direction of ethylene glycol production. Therefore, in addition to constantly improving existing production processes, relevant units should also be organized to carry out research and development work on ethylene oxide catalytic hydration and new production methods for ethylene glycol, such as the ethylene carbonate method, in order to improve the overall production of ethylene glycol in China. techinque level.
In addition, since the domestic ethylene glycol downstream consumption area is relatively single, the development of ethylene glycol in other fields should be increased, gradually changing the use of a single situation to resolve the possible existence of market risk.
At present, major ethylene glycol manufacturers at home and abroad have adopted the ethylene oxide direct hydrochemical process route. In recent years, with the strong demand for ethylene glycol from polyester fibers, polyester plastics and antifreeze, manufacturers have begun to work on the research and development of new synthesis technologies for ethylene glycol. Among them, Ethylene Oxide Catalyzed Hydration and Ethylene Carbonate are two industrialized production processes that are considered to be the most promising.
Global ethylene glycol production and demand rise
In recent years, with the rapid growth in the consumption of polyester products, the production of ethylene glycol in the world has developed rapidly. In 2000, the global ethylene glycol production capacity was 14.230 million tons/year, and in 2006 it reached 19.955 million tons/year, with an average annual growth of 5.4%. Dow Chemical, Sabic, and Shell Chemicals are the top three ethylene glycol manufacturers in the world, accounting for 13.60%, 11.76%, and 7.11% of the world's total production capacity.
In 2006, the total consumption of ethylene glycol in the world was 17.010 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 5.95%. Asia, North America, and Western Europe were the major consumer regions, accounting for approximately 91.93% of the world's total consumption. Among them, consumption in Asia was 10.648 million tons/year, accounting for 62.60%; consumption in North America was 3.239 million tons/year, accounting for 19.04%; consumption in Western Europe was 1.75 million tons/year, accounting for 10.29%. About 81.5% of the world's ethylene glycol products are used for the production of polyester, 12.0% for the production of antifreeze, and 6.5% for the production of chemical intermediates and alkyd resins.
In 2006, the total import of ethylene glycol in the world was 7.85 million tons, of which Asia was the most important import region, importing 6.427 million tons, accounting for 82.44% of the total imports; followed by North America, importing 478,000 tons/year, accounting for 6.09%. In 2006, the total amount of ethylene glycol in the world was 8.04 million tons, of which the Middle East was the most important export region, with 3.702 million tons of exports, accounting for about 46.04% of the total exports; followed by Canada, the export volume was 1,200,000. t/year, accounting for 1..92%.
It is estimated that in the next few years, the world's ethylene glycol demand will increase at an average annual rate of 5%, and the total demand will reach 21.718 million tons in 2011. Among them, the average annual growth rate of demand in Central and Eastern Europe will reach 15.6%, and the consumption will increase from 41.0 million tons in 2006 to 848 million tons in 2011. Second, in the Middle East, the annual growth rate of consumption will reach 14.5%, and the consumption will increase from 482,000 tons in 2006 to 949,000 tons in 2011.
The domestic supply exceeds supply leads to construction boom
In recent years, the production of ethylene glycol in our country has achieved rapid development. At present, China has a total of 12 ethylene glycol production enterprises with a total production capacity of 2.078 million tons per year. Among them, 7 are owned by Sinopec and their total production capacity is 1.429 million tons/year, accounting for approximately 68.77% of China's total ethylene glycol production capacity. PetroChina has 4 companies with a total production capacity of 329,000 tons/year, accounting for approximately 15.83% of the production capacity; 1 of CNOOC, with a production capacity of 32.0 million tons/year, accounting for 15.40% of the total domestic production capacity. Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company is currently the largest ethylene glycol producer in China with a production capacity of 605,000 tons/year, accounting for 29.11% of the total domestic ethylene glycol production capacity.
With the continuous growth of the production capacity of ethylene glycol in China, the output has also increased continuously. In 2001, the production of ethylene glycol in our country was 949,100 tons. In 2006, it increased to 1,560,000 tons. From 2001 to 2006, the average annual growth rate of production was about 14.08%.
Although the production capacity and output of ethylene glycol in our country have been growing faster, it still cannot meet the growing demand in the domestic market. It needs a lot of imports each year, and the import volume is increasing year by year. According to customs statistics, in 2000, the import volume of ethylene glycol in China was only 1.0497 million tons. In 2006, it reached 4.0613 million tons, and the import dependency was as high as 72.26%. From 2000 to 2006, China’s ethylene glycol imports increased by an average of 25.3% annually. In addition to Canada, South Korea, China Taiwan, Japan and the United States and other countries and regions, the share of Saudi Arabia's ethylene glycol in the Chinese market is growing rapidly. In 2005, Saudi Arabia exported 1.2 million tons of ethylene glycol to China, increasing to 1.54 million tons in 2006, an increase of 28.3% year-on-year, accounting for 36.9% of China's total imports.
In recent years, a huge market gap and good prospects for development have caused an upsurge in the construction of glycol plants in China. It is estimated that by 2008, the total production capacity of ethylene glycol in China will reach 2.68 million tons/year, and in 2010 it will reach 4.20 million tons/year, which will relieve the contradiction between the supply and demand of ethylene glycol in China to some extent.
Polyester industry spurs soaring consumption of ethylene glycol
In recent years, due to the rapid growth of the domestic polyester industry, the consumption of ethylene glycol has increased rapidly. In 2000, the apparent consumption of ethylene glycol in China reached 1,957,100 tons. The apparent consumption of that year exceeded 3 million tons and reached 3.019 million tons, exceeding the United States as the world's largest consumer of ethylene glycol. In 2006, the apparent consumption of ethylene glycol in China reached 5.622 million tons, an increase of 10.46% year-on-year. From 2000 to 2006, the average annual growth rate of the apparent consumption of ethylene glycol in our country was approximately 19.22%.
At present, China's ethylene glycol products are mainly used for the production of polyester resins, antifreezes and adhesives, paint solvents, cold lubricants, surfactants, and polyester polyols. Among them, polyester resin is the main consumption field of ethylene glycol in China, its consumption accounts for about 94.0% of the total domestic consumption, and about 6.0% is used for the production of other products.
In recent years, the production of China's polyester resin has developed rapidly. In 2000, the production capacity was only 59.000 tons per year, in 2004 it was 16.50 million tons per year, and in 2006 it increased to 23.50 million tons per year. In 2004, the output of China's polyester resin was 11.70 million tons, and the consumption of ethylene glycol was about 4.1 million tons. In 2006, the output was about 151.0 million tons, and the consumption of ethylene glycol was 5.290 million tons.
According to the prediction of China Polyester Association, China's polyester resin production in 2008 will reach 17.30 million tons, and the demand for ethylene glycol will reach 6.05 million tons. In 2010, the output of polyester resin will reach 19 million tons, and the demand for ethylene glycol will reach 6.65 million tons by that time. In addition to the consumption of antifreeze and other aspects, it is expected that in 2008 China's total demand for ethylene glycol will reach 6.36 million tons, and in 2010 it will reach 7.10 million tons.
Need to introduce technology and expand application areas
According to the current state of the domestic ethylene glycol plant under construction or under construction, even if the plant is operating at full capacity, it will not be able to meet the domestic market demand. It still needs a lot of imports. Ethylene glycol has a very good development prospect in China.
Due to the excess production capacity of ethylene glycol in the global scope, it will lead to more foreign products, especially Saudi Arabia and North American products, flowing into China, thus making China's ethylene glycol production face severe challenges. At present, in addition to considering the adoption of advanced technologies for tapping and renovating existing facilities and expanding the scale of production of equipment, domestic ethylene glycol manufacturers are recommended to introduce advanced foreign technologies and then build several new large-scale ethylene glycols with a production scale of 300,000 tons/year or more. The production equipment will fundamentally ease the contradiction between the supply and demand of ethylene glycol in China and enhance the competitiveness of ethylene glycol in domestic and foreign markets. Experts pointed out that ethylene oxide catalytic hydration can greatly reduce the water ratio, save energy, and reduce production costs. The ethylene carbonate method can only produce ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate products by simply increasing the reaction step for producing ethylene carbonate, which represents the future direction of ethylene glycol production. Therefore, in addition to constantly improving existing production processes, relevant units should also be organized to carry out research and development work on ethylene oxide catalytic hydration and new production methods for ethylene glycol, such as the ethylene carbonate method, in order to improve the overall production of ethylene glycol in China. techinque level.
In addition, since the domestic ethylene glycol downstream consumption area is relatively single, the development of ethylene glycol in other fields should be increased, gradually changing the use of a single situation to resolve the possible existence of market risk.
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