On December 21, the Hami Oil-Rich Coal Research Institute Pilot Test Base (hereinafter referred to as the Pilot Test Base) was officially inaugurated in Yiwu County. The completion and operation of this scientific and technological innovation platform, which integrates technological breakthroughs, achievement transformation, and industrial incubation, marks Hami's entry into the "fast lane" of green, diversified, and high-value development of its oil-rich coal resources. It injects powerful momentum into the efficient utilization of local resources and industrial upgrading.

The Pilot Test Base has established a technological matrix covering the entire industrial chain of oil-rich coal. It carries the mission of breaking through industry bottlenecks and achieving technological leaps, promoting the transformative shift of oil-rich coal from "fuel" to "raw material + material."

Yang Bingfeng, Director of the Hami Oil-Rich Coal Research Institute, explained that the hydrogenated tail oil to lubricants unit has successfully overcome the challenge of domesticating high-end lubricant production, breaking foreign technological blockades and filling a gap in China's domestic related field. The sodium-ion battery anode material preparation unit enables innovative applications of coal-based carbon materials in the new energy sector, opening new pathways for the new energy industry. The anion exchange membrane water electrolysis hydrogen production unit, with its "second-level response" automatic control technology, has bridged the "last kilometer" in coupling new energy with coal chemical industry, promoting the deep integration of green energy and traditional industries.

Yiwu County boasts abundant coal reserves with diverse varieties and easy extraction. Its coal features low sulfur, low phosphorus, low ash content, and high calorific value, with a tar yield exceeding 10% and reaching up to 19%. It is a rare oil-rich coal type both in China and globally, making it an ideal raw material for deep coal processing projects. The inauguration of the Pilot Test Base will serve as a crucial turning point in the development and transformation of Yiwu's coal resources.

"Under traditional processes, the coal tar extraction rate is only 8%. However, the hydro-pyrolysis unit, by optimizing key parameters such as temperature, pressure, and gas composition, has increased the extraction rate to 12%-15%," said Yang Bingfeng. This significant improvement not only greatly enhances the recovery rate of oil-rich coal tar but also achieves a qualitative leap in resource utilization efficiency, providing strong support for the local transition of coal resources from "extensive development" to "high-value-added utilization."

The establishment of the Pilot Test Base is a landmark achievement in Yiwu County's deepening of university-local cooperation and the construction of an innovation ecosystem. The project is jointly built by the Yiwu County Government, Xinjiang University, and Xinjiang Xuandong Energy Co., Ltd., with a total investment of 238 million yuan. This innovative model of "government building the stage, universities empowering, and enterprises performing" has gathered powerful synergy, injecting strong momentum into the construction of Hami's trillion-yuan modern coal chemical industry cluster. It also provides a replicable and scalable demonstration model for the transformation and upgrading of China's coal chemical industry.

Yang Bingfeng explained that university research teams, leveraging their profound academic expertise and cutting-edge research achievements, provide solid technical support for industrial projects. Enterprises, with their rich production experience and keen market insight, connect with market channels and promote the rapid transformation of research results into actual productivity. The government, through a series of preferential policies and precise guidance, optimizes resource allocation and fosters a favorable environment for innovation and entrepreneurship. The close collaboration and complementary strengths of these three parties form a complete closed loop from basic research to industrialization, accelerating technological iteration and cultivating a 100% independently developed equipment system.

Yang Bingfeng further illustrated that, through technology spillover effects, the coupling of coal chemical industry with new energy and new materials can be accelerated. For example, the Pilot Test Base accelerates the deep integration of coal chemical industry with new energy and new materials through technology spillover. The introduction of the anion exchange membrane water electrolysis hydrogen production unit enables green hydrogen produced from wind and solar power to be directly applied in processes like coal tar hydrogenation, reducing carbon emissions. The research and development of sodium-ion battery anode materials opens a new track for coal-based carbon materials in the energy storage sector. This industrial pattern of "coal-based, diversified extension" is helping Yiwu County build a modern industrial system. In the future, the base will focus on three key directions: first, continuously optimizing existing technologies to push the coal tar extraction rate beyond 20%, further enhancing resource utilization efficiency; second, expanding application scenarios, developing high-end products such as specialty fuels and carbon fibers to diversify product offerings and increase industrial added value; third, strengthening talent attraction and cultivation, attracting top domestic and international teams through the "project + platform" model to provide solid intellectual and technological support for industrial development.

Yang Bingfeng said, "Our ultimate goal is to build an open and shared comprehensive service platform for scientific and technological innovation and entrepreneurship. It will not only serve as the 'critical leap' for Hami's industrial upgrading but will also, through the radiation effect of its technologies, drive the coal chemical industry in Xinjiang and across China towards greener, smarter, and more high-end development."