On March 5th, the Sierbang Petrochemical EC/DMC facility successfully produced high-quality products in first production. Leveraging international leading technology and high-quality proprietary materials, the project has expanded the new energy and new materials industry chain by producing high-end battery-grade EC/DMC (ethylene carbonate/dimethyl carbonate), marking another breakthrough for Shenghong's "1+N" cluster innovation.
Seizing the High Ground of Innovation, New Materials Create a New Market Pattern
EC/DMC is an important solvent used in the manufacturing of lithium battery electrolytes, serving as the "blood" of the battery. In recent years, the rapid development of China's new energy vehicle industry has significantly increased the demand for battery electrolyte solvents. The use of EC/DMC electrolyte solvents in lithium batteries not only improves safety performance but also significantly enhances charge and discharge performance at low temperatures, offering better cycle life. Battery-grade DMC requires extremely high purity, typically exceeding 99.99% or even 99.999%. The high technological threshold has led to a shortage of high-end products in the domestic market, with only a few companies in China capable of producing battery-grade DMC. According to relevant agencies, global demand for battery-grade solvents is projected to exceed 1.8 million tons by 2025, with China's demand exceeding 800,000 tons, and composite growth rates surpassing 35%.
Adhering to the philosophy of "pioneering the forefront, focusing on technological excellence, and leading-edge products," Shenghong Petrochemical has constructed an EC/DMC facility based on international first-class standard design with innovative processes, catalytic technology, and all economic and technical indicators reaching international advanced levels. The project has an annual production capacity of 70,000 tons of battery-grade DMC, 38,000 tons of battery-grade EC, and can also produce 47,000 tons/year of ethylene glycol (EG) as a byproduct. The successful operation of the project will significantly narrow the domestic high-end market gap, extend the high-value industry chain, enrich the company's product portfolio, and enhance its core competitiveness and risk resistance capabilities.
Constructing a Green Negative Carbon Ecology, Exploring New Paths for Industrial Transformation
Currently, China's petrochemical industry is at a crucial stage of transformation and upgrading, representing a new starting point for the development of high-end chemical new materials. In light of the new opportunities arising from the "dual carbon" strategy and the "dual circulation" development pattern, Shenghong Petrochemical fully leverages its advantages as a "chain-leading" enterprise to actively explore new technologies and results transformation from low carbon, zero carbon, to negative carbon, leading the industry towards green transformation while promoting China's modernization process.
Negative carbon refers to the active capture and resource utilization of carbon dioxide through revolutionary technological innovations. Shenghong Petrochemical has innovatively established a "carbon dioxide capture and utilization - green methanol - new energy material" green negative carbon industrial chain, with a 100,000-ton/year carbon dioxide to green methanol production unit successfully put into operation. The company has also released the industry's first "Green Negative Carbon Industrial Chain White Paper," providing a reference for the industry and presenting a new model for green negative carbon.
As an extension of Shenghong's green negative carbon industrial chain, the EC/DMC project vertically integrates with the company's ethylene oxide (EO) and carbon dioxide to green methanol plants to supply high-quality raw materials. Leveraging industry-leading technology, the project actively recovers and utilizes carbon dioxide from the tail gas of the EO plant, with a total annual consumption capacity of 70,000 tons of carbon dioxide. This transformation of carbon dioxide into valuable resources not only reduces carbon emissions but also extends the EO industry chain, achieving harmonious unity of social, economic, and environmental benefits.
Focusing on the high-end industry chain, Accelerating "1+N" Cluster Innovation
After years of development, Shenghong has established a comprehensive "1+N" innovative industrial layout based on a "core raw materials mega-platform" and a multi-line development strategy for the "new energy and new materials cluster". Focusing on the "1" core, the company continues to break new ground and pursue long, deep, and refined development across "N" downstream high-end new energy and new materials industry chains, striving to promote "full-chain, matrix-style, and clusterized" development.
The Sierbang Petrochemical EC/DMC project is a crucial carrier that implements the company's "improve upstream and strengthen downstream" development strategy, accelerating cluster innovation within the "1+N" model. Currently, Shenghong is actively promoting downstream new energy storage projects, aiming to efficiently penetrate consumer markets and establish deep connections through the application of globally leading downstream processing facilities. The operation of the EC/DMC facility will provide reliable raw material supply for the energy storage project, offering significant integrated advantages in research and development, scale, costs, and overall development, injecting vitality into Shenghong's high-quality industrial development.
Moreover, DMC, as a synthetic organic "cornerstone," offers outstanding environmental performance and various reactive properties, finding extensive applications in emerging areas such as downstream renewable energy, 5G technology, integrated circuits, pharmaceuticals, and new additives. This will further optimize Shenghong's product coverage in the high-end new materials market, providing vitality to new technologies and industries for sustainable and broadened application scenarioses.
Benchmarking advanced practices and striving for first-rate excellence, Shenghong Petrochemical will closely align with the pulse of era's green development, target strategic emerging industries, innovate boldly, and practice courageously. Relying on its comprehensive industry chain development, the company will accelerate the deep integration of technological and industrial innovation, striving to establish a world-class new energy and new materials industry cluster. In advancing the modernization of Jiangsu Province to be "prosperous, beautiful, and high-quality," Shenghong is dedicated to crafting an exceptional story of high-quality development.