The world's first industrial-scale Liquid Sunshine demonstration project is entering its final construction phase in Ordos, Inner Mongolia. The China Coal Ordos Energy Chemical's 100,000-ton-per-year facility is racing toward a September 30 target for producing qualified methanol, with mechanical completion scheduled for July 30.

Approximately 2,000 workers from six construction firms are currently on site, where large vehicles are constantly moving as equipment installation and steel structure hoisting proceed in an orderly manner.

With a total investment of 4.9 billion yuan ($715 million), the project integrates 400 MW of solar photovoltaic capacity and 225 MW of wind power. It is designed to produce 21,000 tons of green hydrogen annually using renewable electricity. The hydrogen is then reacted with carbon dioxide captured from chemical plant emissions to synthesize methanol, enabling the utilization of CO₂ that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere.

Compared to a coal-to-methanol facility of the same scale, the project is expected to reduce coal consumption by 140,000 tons per year while producing 100,000 tons of methanol annually.

According to Liu Liqiang, Deputy General Manager of China Coal Ordos Energy Chemical's New Energy Branch, equipment and pipeline installation are nearing completion, and pressure testing is being carried out daily.

"The project's key technologies have achieved full domestic localization – from catalysts and reactors to electrolyzers and balance of plant systems – all independently controllable," Liu said. "This lays an industrial foundation for China to compete in emerging global markets such as green methanol and sustainable fuels."

The project represents a crucial step for Ordos in forging a new model of zero-carbon industry and provides a replicable, scalable solution for achieving China's "dual carbon" goals of peaking carbon emissions by 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality by 2060.