World's first! Changhua Chemical's 80,000-ton carbon dioxide polyether plant has been put into operation.
On the morning of March 22nd, at the Lianyungang Petrochemical Industrial Base in the National East-Center-West Regional Cooperation Demonstration Zone (Xuwei New District, Lianyungang), the world's first industrial-scale plant for the low-temperature, low-pressure preparation of carbon dioxide polyether with an annual production capacity of 80,000 tons by Changhua Chemical Technology Co., Ltd. was officially put into operation. China has made a significant breakthrough in the resource utilization of carbon dioxide and the development of green chemical new materials, providing a solution for global carbon emission reduction governance.
The total investment for this project is approximately 6 billion yuan, covering an area of about 659 acres. The construction will be carried out in phases. Among them, the planned annual production capacity of the carbon dioxide polyether is 1.06 million tons. The 80,000-ton carbon dioxide polyether production facility that was put into operation this time is the core achievement of Changhua Chemical relying on cross-border technological collaboration and independent innovation. After the completion of the total investment, it can resourcefully utilize approximately 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually, transforming the once industrial "waste gas" and "carbon burden" into recyclable "carbon resources".
Gu Renfa, the chairman of Changhua Chemical, stated that the commissioning of the 80,000-ton carbon dioxide polyether plant by Changhua Chemical marks the company's participation in the global industrial restructuring through green technology, defining the global industrial standard for carbon dioxide polyether, and pioneering a new path of transforming waste into treasure and turning carbon into gold. Changhua Chemical will establish its global base in Lianyungang and will continue to deepen technology, expand production capacity, and expand globally. It will serve humanity with green chemistry and repay the world with Chinese innovation.
"The Changhua Chemical Lianyungang project is a key project for extending, reinforcing and upgrading the industrial chain in Lianyungang's petrochemical industrial base. It is also a firm step taken by Lianyungang City on the path of sustainable development," pointed out Zhu Bin, the director of the Lianyungang Xupuzhen New District Administration.
Keith Wiggins, the CEO of ECONICTechnologies, delivered a speech in which he highly praised: "At Econic, we are proud to be known for our innovation. We value partnerships and are honored to bring outstanding sustainable products made from carbon dioxide to the world as we embark on a new journey together."
Pang Guangliang, the deputy secretary-general of the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation, said: "Currently, the global green development wave is surging forward. The 'dual carbon' goal has become an irreversible consensus of the times and is also a hard constraint and task for China's economic and social development. Chemical new materials, as the 'foundation' of high-quality development in the manufacturing industry, are the core guarantee for the development of strategic emerging industries such as new energy, high-end equipment, and green buildings. Their green, high-end, and intelligent transformation directly affect the pace of China's manufacturing industry moving to the high-end of the global value chain. And polyether, as the core raw material in the polyurethane industry chain, has an annual domestic market demand of over 6 million tons. The traditional production mode has long relied on petroleum-based raw materials, and the carbon emission per ton of polyether exceeds 3 tons. The raw material resource constraints and the pressure of low-carbon emission reduction have become the essential questions that the entire industry must solve in this era."
Dr. Theodoros Mardas, the sustainability policy director of the European Polyurethane Foam Association (EUROPUR), stated in his speech that by providing low-carbon polyols to the global market, Changhua Chemical has taken an important step in the field of sustainable chemistry.
The world's first industrial-scale facility for the low-temperature and low-pressure preparation of carbon dioxide polyether with an annual production capacity of 80,000 tons has been officially put into operation. This is a significant achievement for Changhua Chemical in its long-term exploration of green chemical industry. It is also a formal announcement that the company has entered a new stage of "green development based on carbon sources". Starting from this commissioning ceremony, Changhua Chemical will continue to empower low-carbon development through scientific and technological innovation, continuously improve the product system and application layout of carbon dioxide polyether, promote the practical application of low-carbon raw materials in more downstream scenarios, and jointly build a green and low-carbon industrial ecosystem with industry chain partners. With concrete actions, it will fulfill the mission of green development.
On that afternoon, at the 2026 Global Polyurethane Sustainable and Carbon Dioxide Innovation Utilization Summit, Changhua Chemical jointly with the China Polyurethane Industry Association and several leading industry enterprises initiated the "Global Polyurethane Industry Innovation and Sustainable Development Initiative", proposing: promoting low-carbon technological innovation; advancing the resource utilization of carbon dioxide; building a green and low-carbon production system; developing a circular economy; promoting global industrial cooperation; and promoting an open and transparent industry ecosystem. The release of this initiative marks that China's polyurethane industry is moving from being a "technology user" to a "rule builder" and an "industry leader".
