Ethylene Industry ›› 2026, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (1): 1-5.

• EXPERTS FORUM •     Next Articles

Construction and Practice of Digital Twin-based Intelligent Ethylene Plant

Zhao Xueliang1,Zhang Ka2,Liu Gang3#br#   

  1. 1. China Petrochemical Corporation, Beijing, P.C.100728;2. Petro-Cyber Works Information Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing, P.C.100020;3. SINOPEC Engineering Incorporation, Beijing, P.C.100101
  • Received:2026-02-11 Online:2026-03-25 Published:2026-04-13

Abstract:

Addressing challenges in the ethylene industry including complex processes, highly coupled control systems, and stringent safety and environmental requirements, Sinopec has established the world’s first digital twin-based intelligent ethylene plant at Zhongke Refining and Chemical by leveraging its proprietary megaton ethylene complete technology and industrial internet platform "Sinopec Smart Cloud" to deeply integrate technologies such as digital twins and intelligent control. By establishing a 3-layer architecture of "physical space - interaction layer - digital twin space", key technical barriers including high-fidelity hybrid modeling, multi-modal model fusion, and development of intelligent equipment have been overcome. This has resulted in a full-process intelligent operation system covering efficient resource utilization, production optimization, equipment health management, and safety and environmental protection. The achievement represents a dual breakthrough in both key technologies and operational models, providing a replicable systematic solution for the intelligent transformation of the ethylene industry.

Key words: digital twin, ethylene, intelligent plant