Driven by the dual engines of global energy transition and industrial upgrade, chemical industry clusters are undergoing profound changes from "scale expansion" to "quality leap." Intelligent EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction), as a core engine for promoting park economy 2.0, is reshaping the spatial layout, production model, and ecosystem of the chemical industry through deep integration of digital technology and engineering management. Below are the core paths and practical samples of this transformation.
1. Technology Reconstruction: Digital Twins and Industrial Internet Redefine Park Governance Paradigms
Intelligent EPC realizes real-time mapping and precise regulation of all elements in the park by building a virtual-real integrated digital twin system. The 5G + digital twin platform created by China Mobile Shanghai Industry Research Institute for Yantai Chemical Park integrates eight systems including safety supervision, environmental monitoring, and logistics scheduling. Through a three-dimensional visualization interface, it monitors 228 major hazard sources and 15,000 risk points in real time, improving emergency response efficiency by 50%. The platform uses Nerf and 3DGS technologies for high-precision scene reconstruction, combined with AI algorithms to predict equipment failures, reducing unplanned downtime by 30%.
Industrial internet platforms break down data silos between enterprises, promoting collaborative innovation along the industrial chain. Dongying Port Economic Development Zone has built China's first park-level industrial internet platform, integrating data resources from 158 companies to achieve full-chain data connectivity from crude oil extraction to petrochemical production and new material manufacturing. By dynamically optimizing cross-wall supply of raw materials such as propylene and butene, comprehensive logistics costs for enterprises within the park have been reduced by 18%, and resource recycling rates have increased to 92%. This "data-driven" production model has made Dongying Port the first certified intelligent factory cluster in China's chemical industry parks.
2. Production Revolution: Flexible Manufacturing and Green Technologies Reshape Industrial Ecosystems
Intelligent EPC achieves flexible manufacturing of multi-variety small batches through modular production systems. The smart energy management system jointly developed by Wanhua Chemical and Dongfang Electronics integrates a 3.387MWp distributed photovoltaic power station and a smart microgrid. It uses a "load follows source" algorithm to dynamically adjust production loads, increasing the proportion of green electricity to 35% and reducing annual carbon emissions by 3,712 tons. Its 2,000L continuous flow production line can switch from MDI to specialty polyurethane in 48 hours, improving capacity utilization by 40%.
Breakthroughs in green technology are driving the industry towards low-carbon transformation. In the Shen Neng Eetuqi project, Donghua Technology innovatively adopted an integrated model of "wind-solar power generation - green hydrogen - green ammonia," reducing the cost of green hydrogen production to 2.8 yuan per cubic meter, which is 40% lower than traditional processes. The 250,000 tons/year CO2 capture facility accompanying the project controls carbon capture costs to 200 yuan per ton using amine absorption and membrane separation coupling processes, providing a replicable technical sample for low-carbon transformation of coal chemicals.
3. Safety Upgrade: AI and IoT Build Proactive Defense Systems
Intelligent EPC achieves early warning of risks through intelligent sensing and AI analysis. The smart management platform developed by Kaos for Lijin Binhai New Area deploys over 5,000 IoT sensors to monitor parameters like pressure and temperature in real time. Combined with machine learning models to predict equipment failure probabilities, it improves safety inspection efficiency by 45% and reduces manpower input by 45%. The platform’s built-in three-dimensional emergency simulation system can simulate the diffusion path of hazardous chemical leaks, aiding in the development of optimal evacuation plans and compressing emergency response times to within 10 minutes.
In equipment safety, the one-click precision refining intelligent LF furnace EPC project by China Heavy Machinery Research Institute achieves full automation of the smelting process through expert systems and metallurgical models, reducing electrode consumption by 5% and increasing the qualification rate of steel composition to 99.9%. Its accompanying intelligent temperature measurement and sampling robots completely replace manual operations in high-temperature and radiation environments, reducing hazardous operations by 12,000 annually.
4. Ecological Restructuring: Integration of Industrial Chains and Open Innovation Models
Intelligent EPC promotes the upgrade of parks from "enterprise aggregation" to "ecological symbiosis." Shandong Jinxian Economic Development Zone adopts a "green manufacturing + circular supporting" model, establishing a three-tiered system of "small enterprise loops - medium industry loops - large park loops": Kaisa Bio reduces energy consumption by 40% by adopting biological methods instead of chemical methods to produce polyamide; Zhongnong Dahuagroup and Yisheng Industrial cooperate on recycling waste acids and salts, reducing solid waste emissions by 120,000 tons annually. This closed-loop ecosystem increases the comprehensive utilization rate of hazardous waste in the park to 98% and raises water reuse rates to 80%.
Open innovation platforms accelerate technology transfer and industrial incubation. The high-end chemical pilot base constructed in Dongying Port uses a mechanism of "enterprises posing questions - consortiums solving them - cluster conversion," completing mid-trial verification of 13 key technologies and advancing the 2 million-ton PX project of Weilian Chemical by 18 months. Equipped with a high-throughput experimental platform capable of simultaneously conducting 100 catalyst screening experiments, it shortens the R&D cycle for new materials by 60%.
5. Future Trends: Deep Empowerment by AI and Global Layout
With the deepening application of AI technology, chemical parks are entering a new phase of "autonomous decision-making." The AI+EPC platform co-developed by Singapore EGP and Jianwen Software optimizes cable path design through the JWAI deep efficiency engine, reducing material loss by 8% in Vietnam's photovoltaic projects and saving 12% in costs in Peru’s Chancay Port project. Its AI contract management system automatically parses clauses and generates payment schedules, increasing transparency of cash flows by 90% and reducing contract disputes by 70%.
Global layout becomes a new battlefield for industrial upgrading. Chinese chemical enterprises export technology standards through intelligent EPC: Wanhua Chemical's smart energy solutions have been implemented at its Hungarian base, achieving synergy between European and Chinese capacities; Kaos' industrial internet platform has entered Southeast Asian markets, helping local parks improve energy efficiency by 25%. This "technology going overseas" model gradually breaks the monopoly of Europe and America in high-end polyolefins and electronic chemicals.
Conclusion
Intelligent EPC is not only a technological tool innovation but also a strategic pivot for the leap from "manufacturing" to "smart manufacturing" in chemical industry clusters. Through the deep integration of digital twins, industrial internet, AI, and other technologies, park economies are transforming from single production hubs into innovation sources and value creation centers. This transformation not only enhances the global competitiveness of China's chemical industry but also provides systematic solutions for addressing climate change and ensuring energy security. With the advancement of the "14th Five-Year Plan" goal of "70% of park output," intelligent EPC will become a key force in reshaping the global chemical industry landscape.
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