According to 135″, China will be able to produce a significant part of its fuel ethanol from biomass. Simultaneously, the production of fuel ethanol from coal has made significant process. The preferred route uses syngas which carbonylates dimethylester over a zeolite catalyst, providing methyl acetate, and simultaneously hydrogenates methyl acetate to ethanol over a Cu/ZnO catalyst. By 2018, Shaanxi Yanchang Group will have completed production facilities of 300.000 t following this route. Orient Securities analysts believe that biomass ethanol costs will be between 4700-5600 yuan/ton, whereas the cost of coal ethanol will be lower between 4000-4200 yuan/ton. China by the end of 2016 had proven coal reserves of 1.6 trillion tons.”
China Bio news release, September 22, 2017