In 2026, the world-leading third-generation methanol-to-olefins technology (DMTO-Ⅲ) was large-scale applied in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, marking a new phase in China's clean coal utilization industry. This technology, developed after over 40 years of research, has successfully transformed coal from a traditional fuel into olefins known as "industrial grain," providing core support for energy security and green transition.
    As early as the 1980s, methanol-to-olefins was a global technical challenge. Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, took the lead in launching research. Led by Academician Liu Zhongmin, the team achieved commercial operation of DMTO technology in 2011 after decades of efforts, completing the "zero breakthrough" in this field in China. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, DMTO-Ⅲ technology made key leaps with new catalysts and innovative processes, enabling a single unit to process 3.6 million tons of methanol annually with significantly reduced raw material consumption, promoting the large-scale and low-carbon transformation of coal chemical industry.
    As a national important energy base, Ordos, with 70% of its area covered by coal, has joined hands with DICP and Baofeng Energy to build the world's largest coal-to-olefins base. In 2025, three DMTO-Ⅲ units were fully put into production, producing over 3 million tons of olefins annually. Through a series of processes, coal is converted into high-end products such as plastics and aerospace materials, realizing the value leap from "fuel-oriented" to "raw material-oriented." Up to now, the DMTO series technologies have signed 36 license contracts with a total capacity exceeding 24 million tons/year, and 20 units are in operation.
    This technology not only eases the pressure of oil supply but also achieves significant emission reduction—carbon dioxide emissions per 10,000 yuan of output value are reduced by about half compared with coal combustion. Today, the integration of intelligent chemical engineering large models has built a new R&D paradigm of "laboratory-virtual factory-actual factory." The 3.0 version has been tested in over 100 enterprises, driving the industry from "experience-driven" to "intelligence-driven."

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