Layout of four major coal-to-oil and gas bases; the coal industry's "15th Five-Year Plan" guides the structural optimization of the coal chemical industry.

Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration jointly issued the "Coal Industry Development '15th Five-Year Plan'" (NDRC Energy [2026] No. 979) and simultaneously released the "Coalbed Methane (Coal Mine Gas) Development and Utilization Plan." These documents systematically map out the transformation route for the coal industry during the "15th Five-Year Plan," make systematic arrangements for the layout of the coal chemical industry, technological innovation, low-carbon upgrading, and the extension of the industrial chain, and clarify the development direction of shifting coal from a single fuel to a dual role as both fuel and raw material.

I. Top-level Planning: Delineating the Layout of Coal Chemical Bases and Orderly Developing Coal-based Bulk Chemical Industries

The plan proposes the orderly expansion of coal utilization as a raw material, the implementation of quality-based and classification-based utilization of coal types, and the reliance on resource endowments to layout modern coal chemical strategic bases, thereby optimizing the national map of coal chemical production capacity:

1. Targeted Layout of Core Coal-to-Oil-and-Gas Bases: Focus on building coal-to-oil-and-gas strategic bases in four major regions: Ordos in Inner Mongolia, Yulin in Shaanxi, Zhundong in Xinjiang, and Hami in Xinjiang. Coordinate capacity planning and technological reserves, leverage the resource advantages of western coal-rich areas, and ensure the independent domestic supply of oil products and natural gas chemical raw materials.

2. Industrial Breakthroughs in Diversified Coal-based New Materials: Prioritize the implementation of coal-to-aromatics and coal-based biodegradable material technologies, promote the realization of large-scale and industrial production of related processes, and fill the gaps in the domestic supply of high-end chemical new materials.

3. Regional Collaborative Development and Supporting Mechanisms: The Xinjiang base will simultaneously connect with the major channels for "Xinjiang Electricity Transmission" and "Xinjiang Coal Transport" as well as large-scale wind and solar power bases, achieving an integrated layout of coal chemical industry and new energy. Coal chemical projects in the Yellow River Basin must strictly adhere to rigid water resource constraints, be equipped with facilities for the closed-loop recycling of mine water and the comprehensive utilization of coal gangue, and strictly control the environmental load of development.

II. Green and Low-carbon Transformation: Full-process Carbon Reduction in Coal Chemical Industry, Promoting Low-carbon Technologies such as Green Power and CCUS

The plan lists the coal chemical industry as a core track for the green and low-carbon transformation of coal, specifying transformation requirements from two aspects: energy structure and emission reduction technologies:

1. Coupling of New Energy with Coal Chemical Production: Encourage coal-to-oil-and-gas and modern coal chemical projects to use green power and green hydrogen on a large scale to replace traditional fossil energy. Equip open-pit coal mines with integrated wind-solar-storage facilities to provide clean power for downstream coal chemical units, and build "wind-solar + coal chemical" coupling demonstration parks.

2. Large-scale Application of CCUS: Support coal chemical projects in being equipped with Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) projects to mineralize, enhance oil recovery, or chemically convert the CO₂ emitted from coal chemical production, thereby significantly reducing the full life-cycle carbon emissions of the projects.

3. Supporting System for Clean Energy in Mining Areas: Promote electric transport equipment and electric-driven production equipment in coal chemical parks to replace original oil-fired boilers and heavy vehicles. Layout shallow/medium-deep geothermal energy and gas oxidation heating according to local conditions to reduce the self-supplied coal consumption of the coal chemical industry.

III. Technological Innovation: Localization and Upgrading of Complete Sets of Equipment and Core Processes in Coal Chemical Industry

The "Plan" includes the establishment of a coal technology and equipment innovation project, focusing on tackling key problems and demonstrating the landing of key technologies in the coal chemical field:

1. R&D List for Core Process Technologies: Focus on tackling cutting-edge technologies such as coal direct and indirect liquefaction coupling technology, one-step syngas-to-olefins, rapid hydrogen-rich pressurized pulverized coal pyrolysis with high oil yield, and preparation of high-performance composite catalysts for coal chemical industry, to improve raw material conversion efficiency and reduce energy consumption per unit of product.

2. Independent Substitution of Complete Sets of Equipment: Tackle problems regarding large-scale coal-water slurry entrained-bed gasification devices, high-ratio circulating bed gasification equipment, intelligent dry coal preparation equipment for all particle sizes, and complete sets of coal chemical wastewater deep treatment equipment. Promote the localization of key components and industrial software to break the monopoly of foreign equipment technology.

3. Large-scale Industrial Pilot Demonstrations: The plan involves the implementation of various types of coal chemical demonstration projects, including a 2-million-ton level coal direct liquefaction project, a 1-billion-cubic-meter-per-year level fluidized bed methanation coal-to-natural gas project, a 5,000-ton/day high-efficiency energy-saving gasification device, and a million-ton level oil-rich coal pyrolysis pilot, to verify the economics and stability of new processes. Simultaneously advance the application of AI large models in the coal mining industry in coal chemical production scheduling and safety control scenarios, achieving intelligent device regulation and early fault warning.

IV. Upstream and Downstream Industrial Chain Synergy: Washing and Quality Improvement + Olefin Raw Material Supply to Support the Development of Fine Chemicals

1. Front-end Commercial Coal Quality Improvement Supporting Coal Chemical Raw Materials: Implement a commercial coal quality improvement project, build and renovate intelligent coal preparation plants, carry out customized deep separation for coking coal and oil-rich coal, and accurately match the raw material indicators of different coal chemical processes. Reduce raw material ash and sulfur content and lower the environmental treatment costs of coal chemical units through enclosed corridors and pipelines for clean transfer of raw coal. All coal slime and coal gangue are recovered for gasification and comprehensive utilization in building materials.

2. Coal-to-Olefins Opening Up the Fine Chemical Raw Material Channel: Under policy guidance, large domestic coal-to-olefins projects are accelerating their implementation. Representative projects include Sinopec's 23.7 billion yuan coal-to-olefins project, which uses self-developed SE pulverized coal gasification and S-MTO complete processes, with a localization rate exceeding 98% and unit energy consumption dropping by more than 15% compared to traditional processes. The project produces basic chemical raw materials such as ethylene, propylene, and EVA, which can serve as upstream intermediates for fine chemical products like surfactants, plastic additives, and textile chemicals, improving the self-sufficiency rate of domestic chemical raw materials and stabilizing the costs of the downstream fine chemical industry chain.

Such coal chemical projects are equipped with wind-solar power generation and water electrolysis hydrogen production facilities. Environmental protection investment accounts for more than 7% of total investment, achieving low-carbon olefin production. At the same time, they expand new markets for the application of fine chemicals such as coal gasification additives and coal chemical wastewater treatment agents.

V. Industry Access and Stock Optimization: Strictly Controlling the Threshold for New Projects and Phasing Out Backward Coal Chemical Production Capacity

1. Raising Access Standards for Coal Mines Supporting Coal Chemical Industry: In principle, stop the construction and expansion of small coal mines with an annual capacity of less than 1.2 million tons in Shanxi, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, and Xinjiang (except Southern Xinjiang). Mines supporting coal chemical industry must be large, intelligent, and modern mines, equipped with standardized and intelligent coal preparation facilities simultaneously. It is prohibited to layout coal chemical and supporting mining projects in ecological protection red lines and water source protection areas.

2. Market-based Clearance of Backward Production Capacity: Phase out small coking and coal chemical units with backward processes and those that fail to meet energy consumption and environmental protection standards. Gradually exit low-end coal chemical production capacity in resource-depleted and disaster-prone mining areas in the eastern and central regions. Integrate small coal chemical projects in western bases, promote enterprise mergers and reorganizations, and create large integrated coal-chemical joint enterprises.

3. Rigid Constraints on Capacity Replacement: All new coal chemical supporting coal production capacity and new coal chemical projects must strictly implement the capacity replacement and capacity "single ledger" management systems, strictly control the total coal consumption, and cooperate with the national goal of peaking coal consumption to promote the reduction and quality improvement of the coal chemical industry.

VI. Collaborative Methane Control and Comprehensive Utilization of By-product Resources

Relying on the supporting plan for the development and utilization of coalbed methane (coal mine gas), the coal chemical industry is simultaneously advancing methane emission control and the utilization of by-product resources:

1. Gas Supplying Heat Source and Raw Materials for Coal Chemical Industry: Promote the combined surface and underground drainage of gas. Send purified high-concentration gas into coal chemical units as raw material, and use low-concentration gas for regenerative oxidation heating and power generation to provide stable clean energy for coal chemical parks and reduce coal consumption. The national target for gas utilization by 2030 is 6.5 billion cubic meters, simultaneously reducing fugitive methane emissions from coal chemical production.

2. Comprehensive Utilization of Coal-associated and Co-existing Resources: Extract rare minerals and oil shale components from coal, couple them with coal chemical processes for joint production, and achieve multiple products from one mine and full-component utilization of resources. Coal chemical production wastewater is treated by classification and recycled in a closed loop. Solid waste and gasification slag are used for building materials and underground backfilling to build a circular coal chemical industry model.

Industry Interpretation: Coal Chemical Transformation Anchors the Triple Goals of "Supply Security, Low-carbon, and High-end"

Relevant officials from the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration stated in a response to reporters' questions that the core logic of coal chemical development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" is to coordinate energy security with the "dual carbon" transformation. On one hand, rely on the five major western coal guarantee bases to stabilize the supply of coal chemical raw materials and reduce domestic dependence on imports of chemical products. On the other hand, rely on intelligence, green hydrogen coupling, and CCUS technology to transform the traditional coal chemical industry and change the high-carbon development path. At the same time, extend the coal-based new materials and fine chemical industry chains, break away from the low-end development model of simple fuel processing, create new quality productive forces in modern coal chemistry, and support the construction of China's new energy system and a strong energy nation.

The plan clarifies that subsequently, various regions will refine policies for the implementation of coal chemical support. Financial institutions will provide market-based financing support for green and intelligent coal chemical projects. Simultaneously, the industry monitoring and evaluation mechanism will be improved, mid-term assessments of the plan's implementation effects will be conducted, and control measures for the coal chemical industry will be dynamically optimized.