This was announced by Zinfer Ismagilov, Director of the Institute of Coal Chemistry and Material Science SB RAS, at the panel session “The practice of discoveries. New Technologies that Have Changed the Outlook on the Fuel and Energy Sector” of the Energy Policy journal and the Global Energy Association, which took place as part of the zero day of the International Forum “Russian Energy Week”.
China remains the world leader in the development of coal chemistry: share of the chemical industry in coal demand in China is 5.4%, which is high according to the world standards (with the share of 63.8% in power generation and 18.3% in construction, 3.2% in metallurgy, and 9.3% in all other sectors). Coal chemical companies use four main methods of coal processing: coal gasification to produce products for basic chemistry (methanol, olefins, acetic acid); coke chemistry to produce marketable products (benzene, toluene, xylene); extraction technologies for lignite and low-grade bituminous coals to produce valuable products (wax, bitumen), and finally, production of carbon sorbents used for water purification, as well as in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
As Z.Ismagilov stated, Russia is among the six largest coal producers. In 2021, Russia’s share in global production of this raw material (5.3%) was second only to China (50.5%), India (9.9%), the USA (6.4%), Indonesia (7.5% ) and Australia (5.9%). At the same time, Russia is in the top three for thermal coal exports (with a global share of 18% versus 41% for Indonesia and 20% for Australia, according to the International Energy Agency). However, the high remoteness of the main coal production centres in Russia is still a major problem of Russian coal exports: for example, the distance between Kuzbass and coal terminals in the Khabarovsk Territory (Vanino) and Primorye (Vladivostok, Vostochny, Nakhodka) is 4,500 km.
According to Mr. Ismagilov, the development of coal chemistry and the creation of products with high added value can partially address this problem: for example, coal (with the cost over 6,000 roubles per ton) conversion into benzene (14,000 roubles per ton) and subsequent production of caprolactam – a colourless oily liquid with the cost of 55,000 roubles per ton. Another example is production of coal sorbents (up to 3 million roubles per ton) and carbon fibers (up to 900 thousand roubles per ton) from anthracite (6.7 thousand roubles per ton), as well as metallurgical coke (9.2 thousand roubles per ton) and sheet steel (24,000 roubles per ton) from coking coal.
Pilot plants for production of liquid fuels from coal used to operate in the Tula region and in the Krasnoyarsk Territory in Soviet times, recalled Z. Ismagilov. However, in 1992, funding for these sites ceased. “The only coal gasification unit in Russia is currently operating at the site of the Tomsk Polytechnic University,” the academician stated. In its turn, at the Institute of Coal Chemistry and Material Science SB RAS, a pilot plant was created for processing lignite of Kuzbass into humic preparations, which are used as fertilisers for agricultural plants. The Institute has also a pilot stand for obtaining sorbents that can be used for treatment of mine waters. “Basic research has been completed. It is necessary to conduct pilot tests and go to commercial production of coal chemistry products in the Russian Federation,” Z. Ismagilov summed up.
