Chlor-alkali industry faces complicated and changeable domestic and international situation

During the "12th Five-Year Plan" period, China's chlor-alkali industry developed rapidly. The production capacity and output of caustic soda and PVC continue to rank first in the world, and it has become a veritable chlor-alkali producing country. Despite this, there are still some outstanding problems that need to be solved in the development of the chlor-alkali industry. First, the overcapacity of production capacity, the industry's profitability decline; Second, the product structure is relatively single, homogeneous competition fierce; Third, the ability to technological innovation needs to be further strengthened; Fourth, the chlor-alkali industry and petrochemical and coal chemical industry combined development is not enough; five It is the intensification of trade frictions in the process of internationalization.

During the “13th Five-Year Plan” period, the chlor-alkali industry will face complicated and changing domestic and international situations. First of all, the “Mining Convention on Mercury” will take effect in China this year and will have an important impact on the development of polyvinyl chloride in the calcium carbide process. The PVC industry is the industry with the largest amount of mercury in China. The amount of mercury used accounts for 60% of the total amount used in the country and a large amount of mercury-containing catalysts are needed. How to do a good job of mercury pollution prevention and control, in line with national heavy metal pollution prevention and control requirements and international convention requirements, is an important test for the industry.

Second, the successful development of shale gas in the United States has exerted continuous pressure on the future development of China's chlor-alkali industry. The production of ethylene from natural gas based on shale gas and the production of polyvinyl chloride can save nearly half the cost compared to the current crude oil route and the polyvinyl chloride products of China's calcium carbide route, and the market's competitive advantage is particularly prominent.

In addition, the sustainable development of the chlor-alkali industry faces a low carbon test. The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen opened the journey to a global low-carbon era. The chlor-alkali industry as a traditional high-energy-consuming industry, low-carbon development, energy-saving emission reduction, improvement of energy efficiency and industrial restructuring will become one of the important factors that determine the sustainable development of the industry during the “13th Five-Year Plan” period.

However, the implementation of the “Belt and Road” national strategy will provide new opportunities for the international trade of the chlor-alkali industry. The main export of chlor-alkali products in China is basically in line with the countries covered by the “One Belt and One Road”. As a basic chemical raw material, caustic soda can provide support for basic industries such as chemical industry, textiles, printing and dyeing, and non-ferrous metals in these countries. In 2014, China’s PVC exports reached 1.106 million tons, of which exports to the “Belt and Road” countries accounted for 89.9% of the total.

It can be seen that the “13th Five-Year Plan” period is an important period for China’s chlor-alkali industry to coexist with opportunities and challenges. It is also the industry’s further resolution of excess production capacity, adjustment of industrial structure, and innovation as the driving force to enhance industry development quality, from chlor-alkali producing countries to production. The crucial period for a strong country to cross.

To this end, we must further resolve the pressures of overcapacity and realize the transition from extensive development of simple production capacity to refined, high value-added, resource-saving, and environment-friendly development; we must adhere to technological innovation as a driving force and form a group of autonomous enterprises. Intellectual property technology, technology and equipment to achieve the export of chlor-alkali technology and equipment; to promote intensive, cluster development, to cultivate a group of competitive large-scale enterprises and enterprise groups, and make the layout tend to be reasonable; to vigorously promote the ecological Civilization construction, increase the proportion of cleaner production processes, increase energy and water use efficiency, reduce pollutant emissions, use and discharge of mercury in calcium carbide process polyvinyl chloride to meet the performance requirements of international conventions; to actively promote with petrochemical and new coal The integration of chemical development, increase the integration of new processes such as the production of olefins from coal and methanol as raw materials, diversification of raw material routes and product lines, extension of chlorine and alkali value chain; also accelerate the pace of internationalization, and promote China's chlor-alkali industry Jumped to the high end of the global value chain.

Among them, in terms of independent innovation and technological progress, we must focus on promoting the green development of the chlor-alkali industry. It is necessary to strengthen the popularization and application of membrane distance membrane membranes, domestic ion membranes, and low-mercury catalysts, further accelerate the research and development of mercury-free catalysts, and construct industrial demonstration projects for the mercury-free process of acetylene and dichloroethane, and vigorously promote caustic soda membrane electrolysis. The development and application of advanced technologies such as cathode oxygen cathode technology and new chlorine manufacturing technology. Constantly develop high-value-added alkali- and chlorine-consuming products and develop refined, specialized and serialized PVC products to further broaden product applications.

In terms of application and market, it is necessary to strengthen the extension of polyvinyl chloride to the consumer market, consolidate its application in the traditional fields such as sections and pipes, and further explore new areas of consumption, and promote the development of PVC resins in China from general purpose to special purpose.

It is particularly important that the chlor-alkali industry should further promote the development model of recycling economy, strengthen technological transformation of mercury pollution prevention and control, speed up the process of mercury-free, and fully implement responsible care, and strengthen the management of health, safety and environmental systems.

In order to reach the “13th Five-Year Plan” development goal of the chlor-alkali industry, it is recommended that relevant state departments issue new industrial access conditions as soon as possible, strengthen supervision and management of the industry, and establish a management system that eliminates outdated production capacities in multiple dimensions such as safety, environmental protection, and energy consumption, and strengthen the Outdated production capacity to eliminate the incentive mechanism. Strengthen the prevention and control of mercury pollution in the polyvinyl chloride industry in China by calcium carbide process, accelerate the promotion and application of low-mercury catalysts and follow-up research and development, and strengthen the research and development and industrial application demonstration construction of mercury-free catalysts and mercury-free process technologies. Promote and promote industry integration, and introduce specific incentive measures at various levels, such as ** and taxation. Formulate reasonable and effective energy regulation policies, and continue to give reasonable energy price policies for ion-exchange membrane caustic soda. Provide reasonable policy support for the export of major chlor-alkali products and import of raw materials, and create a fair and orderly international trade environment.