Johnson Matthey successfully commissioned three advanced methanol production facility for inner Mongolia Baofeng Coal-based New Materials Co., Ltd.—a subsidiary of Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group. The team completed the start-ups in phases during November 2024, February 2025, and March 2025. This facility is located in the Wushenqi Sulige Economic Development Zone of Ordos City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It now stands as the largest single-site methanol plant in the world.
Leveraging JM’s Proven Methanol Technology
The facility utilizes Johnson Matthey’s cutting-edge methanol synthesis technology and proprietary catalysts to achieve exceptional scale and efficiency. It plays a pivotal role in Baofeng’s broader operations, which include producing polyethylene and polypropylene from coal—an alternative to traditional oil-based feedstocks. This coal-to-chemicals approach positions the site among the largest global players in synthetic material production.
Setting Global Standards for Scale and Performance
The successful commissioning reinforces JM’s leadership in delivering world-scale methanol solutions. Emerging markets such as India particularly value this achievement. They increasingly view methanol as a key enabler of future energy diversification and low-carbon chemical production. As industrial demand grows, such benchmark projects provide rapidly developing economies with a clear template for executing their energy strategies.
Engineering Expertise Anchored in Asia
Johnson Matthey’s newly established engineering centre in Mumbai is set to support similar large-scale, low-carbon projects across Asia. The facility will serve as a regional hub for engineering, design, and innovation. It will enable the team to deploy advanced chemical technologies faster and tailor them to local market needs.
Proven Track Record in China
The plant marks JM’s 14th methanol facility in China, collectively exceeding 1.8 million tons per year in production capacity. The project also showcases the effective use of China-fabricated radial steam-raising converters and compressors. It shows how the team has integrated local manufacturing expertise to deliver global-scale solutions.
Leadership Voices on the Milestone
Dr Mark Su, President, Johnson Matthey Greater China, commented, “The successful start-up of the world’s largest methanol plant fully demonstrates Johnson Matthey’s world-class capability in delivering advanced, sustainable chemical production solutions. Our long-standing collaboration with Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group not only drives innovation and high-quality growth in China’s chemical industry but also sets new benchmarks for scale and technological excellence globally.”
Dr Maurits van Tol, Chief Executive, Catalyst Technologies at JM, added, “This project showcases the value of Johnson Matthey’s global expertise, drawing on talent and innovation from across our network, including India. With the recent opening of our engineering centre in Mumbai, we are ideally placed to support customers in the region with advanced methanol and low-carbon technology solutions that help meet their decarbonisation goals.”
