Project Overview (May 9th, Shanghai Petrochemical's 30,000-ton/year large-tow carbon fiber project)
Phase 1 Progress: Feeding and commissioning completed; production of qualified products with internationally advanced performance; completion of two 48K large-tow carbon fiber production lines, each with a designed capacity of over 3,000 tons, making it the largest single-line production line of its type in China.
Phase 2 Plan: The remaining 8 production lines are expected to be fully operational by the end of 2027, bringing the total to 10 production lines.
Phase 1 Project Highlights
Construction Speed: From groundbreaking to mechanical completion in just 188 days, setting a new record for the fastest construction of similar facilities in China;
Technological Optimization: After iterating on proprietary original technology, single-line capacity increased by 50% compared to existing lines, with 100% localization of key equipment;
Cost Advantage: Fast construction and high localization rate resulted in lower production costs per ton of product.
Industrial Chain Layout: Green Electricity + Carbon Fiber + Wind Power Green Circular Industrial Chain
Site Selection Advantages (Inner Mongolia): Leveraging local wind and solar green electricity resources and labor cost advantages, the project's green electricity utilization rate exceeds 60%; a single production line reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 20,000 tons annually compared to coal-fired power, equivalent to planting 1.25 million trees.
Multiple Equity Participants: Capital from Sinopec, Dongfang Electric, Uxin Banner State-owned Investment, and CCB Investment has been introduced.
Industrial Closed Loop: The project establishes downstream wind power pultruded sheet material cooperatives, creating a complete circular system of green electricity—carbon fiber new materials—wind power industry, driving high-quality development of the entire industrial chain.
Large Tow Carbon Fiber Product Introduction
Definition: Industry Standard: A single bundle with >48,000 fibers (48K) is considered large tow carbon fiber; Shanghai Petrochemical's product has a carbon content >95%, classifying it as a high-strength new fiber.
Material Properties (Black Gold / King of New Materials)
Density less than 1/4 that of steel, tensile strength 7-9 times that of steel, and excellent corrosion resistance;
Compared to small tow: Higher single-line output and lower production cost under the same production conditions, with significant advantages for large-scale deployment.
Sinopec's Carbon Fiber Technology Development History & Industry Position
1. Industry Position
The first domestic and fourth globally to master the core technology of large tow carbon fiber; the first globally to achieve commercial mass production of 48K large tow carbon fiber of T700 level and above.
2. Key Timelines
2018: Major technological breakthrough; trial production of 48K large-tow carbon fiber; successful completion of the entire process.
October 2022: China's first fully domestically produced 48K large-tow carbon fiber production line commenced operation.
2025: Self-developed 60K large-tow carbon fiber commenced production, filling a domestic gap and suitable for high-end deep-sea wind power applications; nearly 20 specifications of products, including 24K, 48K, and 60K, are currently in mass production.
3. Patent Achievements (as of the end of 2025): 868 patent applications in the field of carbon fiber and composites (ranked 1st in China and 3rd globally), with 417 granted, including 4 PCT international patents.
Supplement: Linking to the previous article on T1000-grade carbon fiber,
Shanghai Petrochemical has simultaneously overcome the mass production technology (12K) of wet-process T1000-grade high-performance small-tow carbon fiber, achieving a dual-line layout of large and small tows. This enables independent control of the entire spectrum of high-end carbon fibers (T1000 small tow + 48K/60K large tow), breaking the long-term overseas technological monopoly.
