The world's first fully green electric-driven ethylene plant goes into operation, accelerating the low-carbon transformation of the petrochemical industry.

On March 26, 2026, a large-scale integrated petrochemical base in China was fully operational. Its core unit is the world's first ethylene complex with a main compressor driven entirely by renewable energy, marking a crucial step towards a green and low-carbon production model for the petrochemical industry.

This ethylene unit breaks away from the traditional petrochemical process that relies on fossil fuel combustion to produce steam to drive the compressor. It fully adopts electric drive technology and connects with regional offshore wind power resources through long-term green electricity procurement agreements, achieving zero-carbon energy supply in the production process. Compared to conventional units, this fully green electric-driven unit can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over one million tons annually, while also reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and other air pollutants, with energy consumption levels more than 30% lower than the industry average.

As a core raw material for the petrochemical industry, the low-carbonization of ethylene production processes has a demonstrative effect on the green transformation of the entire industrial chain. The commissioning of this unit not only optimizes the regional petrochemical product supply structure and enhances the self-sufficiency of high-end polyolefins and specialty rubbers, but also promotes the industry's exploration of new production paths combining "green electricity + chemicals."

Currently, the global petrochemical industry is facing the dual pressures of energy structure adjustment and increasingly stringent environmental policies. The large-scale application of green electricity-driven technologies provides a feasible solution for the energy-intensive heavy chemical industry to achieve its "dual-carbon" goals. Industry experts indicate that with the continued decline in renewable energy costs and improved grid stability, more petrochemical plants will adopt green electricity-driven models in the future, accelerating the industry's transformation from a traditional energy-consuming sector to a green and low-carbon one.

Meanwhile, the domestic petrochemical industry is entering its annual concentrated maintenance period. From April to May, a number of mainstream product plants, including polyethylene, polypropylene, and aromatics, will undergo maintenance, involving a significant amount of capacity. This will disrupt the market supply and demand pattern in the short term, and the prices of some petrochemical products may fluctuate at high levels. On the cost side, international crude oil prices remain range-bound, providing some cost support for downstream chemical products. However, the recovery of end-user demand is slow, and the industry as a whole will exhibit an operating trend of "supported costs and constrained demand."