Takeshi Mine

The University of Tokyo, Japan

Title: A historical analysis of the coal liquefaction technology development in China

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Biography

Takeshi Mine is Graduated from The Faculty of Economics, The University of Tokyo, Japan. Later Joined in Mitsui Toatsu chemicals (currently Mitsui Chemicals), Japan. In 1973, Takeshi completed MA in Economics, The Johns Hopkins University, USA. During 1994-99 he worked as Chief Representative in China, Mitsui Chemicals. Japan. In 2008 Takeshi, completed Ph.D. in Economics, from The University of Tokyo, Japan.

Abstract

During 10^th 5-year plan (2001-05) China succeeded to develop the coal liquefaction technology and completed the construction of a large-scale commercial plant of 1million tons per year in Ordos, Inner Mongolia in 2008. This is the first commercial large-scale coal liquefaction plant by the direct liquefaction method in the world.

Historically technology to produce oil from coal, namely coal liquefaction technology was developed before and during WW II for the first time by Germany and then by Japan. Both Germany and Japan were poor in oil resources but rich in coal resources. Both countries needed oil for the war and tried to produce oil from coal. As a result both counties produced a small quantity of oil but the production cost was very high. After WW II the oil price stayed for a long time in a low level. Neither Germany nor Japan continued the technical development of coal liquefaction technology. In China, however, the situation is different.

   Pre-war Japan constructed coal liquefaction plants not only in Japan but also in Manchukuo. Manchukuo was prewar Japanese puppet state in Manchuria. Japan got the Manchurian interests from Russia by the Treaty of Portsmouth in 1905 through the victory of Russo?Japanese War. Pre-war Japan feared that the newly born USSR might come back to Manchuria. Therefore Japan/Manchukuo decided to construct an independent self-sufficient economy in Manchuria for the possible war with USSR. Thus Japan/Manchukuo constructed 5 coal liquefaction plants in Manchukuo.

The coal liquefaction technology was inherited to the new China and the coal liquefaction technology development in China is originated from the pre-war R&D works in Manchukuo. The coal liquefaction technology development was restarted in China soon after beginning of the new open door policy through the cooperation of China and Japan. In this paper the technological development of coal liquefaction in China is analyzed historically from the Manchukuo days up to now.