Summary: The EI report of Gaomi Tongli's 10,000 t/a of xylose production line technology upgrading project for energy conservation and environmental protection was publicised at the end of Sept. before getting approval.

On 28 Sept., 2022, the Weifang Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau publicised the environmental impact (EI) report of Gaomi Tongli Sugar Co., Ltd. (Gaomi Tongli)'s 10,000 t/a of xylose production line technology upgrading project for energy conservation and environmental protection before giving approval. Previously on 21 Sept., the EI report of this project was accepted and publicised.

In 2000, Gaomi Tongli's 1,000 t/a xylose project passed the inspection and acceptance. As the company gradually expanded its production capacity, it initiated the 10,000 t/a xylose project. This technology upgrading project is to upgrade the 10,000 t/a xylose production line in the 10,000 t/a xylose project.

Overview of Gaomi Tongli's technology upgrading project:

• Construction nature: Technological upgrading
• Location: Gaomi City (county-level), Weifang City, Shandong Province
• Total floor area: 900 m², of which the workshop for high-pressure plate and frame filtration takes up 800 m² and the area for high-powered membrane concentration covers 100m². (This project plans to carry out production activities in the existing idle workshops)
• Total investment: USD2.82 million (RMB20 million), of which USD28,172 (RMB200,000) for environmental protection
• Construction content:
• The boiler runs at a low efficiency when using the corn cob residues produced in the hydrolysis process as the boiler fuel. Therefore, 3 sets of high-plate and frame filter presses will be installed in the workshop for the 2nd pressure filtration of the corn cob residues that have undergone the 1st pressure filtration.
• In the original production process, the sugar syrup, obtained after the low-powered membrane concentration step, will need to undergo the primary evaporation step using steam to further increase its concentration degree. So, 2 sets of high-powered nanofiltration membrane systems will be installed to remove the primary evaporation step.
• Production capacity: The production capacity for xylose remains the same as before the technology upgrade
• Production process: Pretreatment of corn cobs—hydrolysis (the corn cob residues obtained after hydrolysis will undergo plate and frame filtration twice)—neutralisation—decolourisation—pressure filtration—ion exchange—concentration (using high-powered nanofiltration membrane)—evaporation and concentration—crystallisation—separation—drying—xylose is obtained
• Labour quota: No additional employee
• Working system: Three 8-hour shifts per 24-hour workday, totalling 300 days annually
• Construction period: 3 months

 

 

Established in 1999 with a registered capital of USD2.93 million (RMB20.80 million), Gaomi Tongli focuses on the production and sale of xylose and the mother liquor of xylose. Its current production capacities are 10,000 t/a of xylose and 5,800 t/a of xylose mother liquor. Gaomi Tongli is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zhejiang Huakang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Huakang Pharma) and provides xylose for Huakang Pharma's production of xylitol.  

Huakang Pharma was approved to set up the Postdoctoral Research Station, according to an announcement released by the National Postdoctoral Management Committee on 10 Oct., 2022. The approval of the postdoctoral programme is a great achievement of Huakang Pharma in the building of a scientific research platform and the cultivation of high-level talents.

In the most recent three years, Huakang Pharma has been increasing its spending on research and development. The R&D expenditure of Huakang Pharma is as follows:

• 2020: USD9.16 million (RMB65.03 million), accounting for 4.93% of the revenue
• 2021: USD11.86 million (RMB84.23 million), accounting for 5.28% of the revenue
• H1 2022: USDUSD7.61 million (RMB54.06 million), accounting for 5.69% of the revenue