Ordos, a coal-rich city in southwestern Inner Mongolia, is working to speed up the development of modern coal chemical in a move to extend industry chain and foster circular economy, sources reported.

The city has constructed several chemical industry parks in a shift from sole coal mining to clean and production of high-valued energy and chemical products.

Located within an area of 170 sq.km in northeastern Zhunger Banner, eastern Ordos, Dalu Chemical Industry Park has been the center of over 40 coal-based industrial projects, including coal-to-gas, coal-to-liquids and coal ash-to-alumina, etc.

By the end of the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015), these projects are expected to produce over 10 million tonnes of coal chemical products and 5 million tonnes of alumina oxide and aluminum products. The total investment is estimated to exceed 150 billion yuan and sales revenue 50 billion yuan.

Etuoke chemical industry park, another important energy base in the west of Ordos, mainly engages in comprehensive coal chemical businesses like semi coal-to-power generation-to-natural gas-to-synthetic ammonia-to-urea, semi coke-to-coal tar-to-coal tar hydrogenation-to- clean fuels, etc..

The newly-built Shanghaimiao chemical industry park is located in Etuoke Front Banner, southwestern Ordos, the "golden triangle" of the nation’s new energy and chemical base in western region, involving Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi and Gansu.

With a designed area of 1,800 sq.km, the industry park presently has a total coal production capacity of 36.6 million tonnes. Two coal chemical projects have commenced operation and one project under construction, with total production capacity of 2.7 million tonnes per annum.

Besides, construction on gauge-fired combined heat and power generation and coal-to-LNG projects have kicked off, while preliminary work on coal-to-natural gas and coal-to-olefin is underway.