Zhejiang Sealand Technology Co., Ltd. is a trustworthy manufacturer of Natural Gas Mass Flow Meter, Natural Gas Mass Flowmeter, Natural Gas Coriolis Meter, Natural Gas Coriolis Mass Flow Meter, ATEX, IECEx & CE approved.
First, Sealand meter is certified by Zhejiang Institute of Metrology. To get such
certificate, Sealand has to send all models to Zhejiang Institute of Metrology
and all models are tested in their calibration lab. The lab is an ISO/IEC
17025:2005 standard lab approved by CNAS (China National Accreditation
Service for Conformity Assessment). CNAS is a member of ILAC (International
Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation).
Second, Sealand has its own calibration lab, equipped with METTLER
TOLEDO scales with accuracy 0.014% and the device extended uncertainty is
0.05%. The lab is also approved by Zhejiang Institute of Metrology. This
certificate will stay valid only for one year, Zhejiang Institute of Metrology will
send their professor to Sealand every year to check and make sure that the lab
is qualified still and then issue new certificate. During the production, each
meter will be calibrated in this lab for 3 times, each time at 5 different flow rate.
Finally, Sealand also gets ISO, CE, SIL, ATEX & IECEx. Sealand is the only
Chinese brand who gets ATEX & IECEx and it is from TUV SUD ( the most
authoritative institute for ATEX).
Natural Gas Mass Flow Meter, Natural Gas Mass Flowmeter, Natural Gas Coriolis Meter, Natural Gas Coriolis Mass Flow Meter Zhejiang Sealand Technology Co., Ltd. , https://www.sealandflowmeter.com
The contradiction between supply and demand in the domestic methanol market
The domestic methanol market in China has been facing a growing contradiction between supply and demand, driven by rapid expansion in production capacity and sluggish demand growth. In recent years, coal-producing provinces such as Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, and Shaanxi have undergone industrial upgrades, leading to the establishment of numerous methanol plants. This has resulted in a significant increase in methanol production capacity. However, the demand from the domestic market has not kept pace with this rapid growth, and the influx of low-cost imported methanol has further worsened the imbalance.
Since 2005, China's methanol production capacity has grown at an astonishing rate, with an average annual growth of over 54%. By 2012, the national production capacity had exceeded 53 million tons, while output reached more than 26 million tons. Despite this, the utilization rate remained low, at just 49% that year. The trend is expected to continue, with projections showing that in 2013, production capacity will rise to around 59 million tons, with output reaching 30 million tons.
Most of the new methanol capacity is concentrated in coal-rich regions like Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia. These areas have seen the development of both small-scale and large-scale facilities, with some producing up to 800,000 tons annually. These large installations benefit from lower production costs due to their access to affordable raw materials.
While domestic demand for methanol has increased steadily, it has not matched the explosive growth in supply. From 2005 to 2012, methanol demand rose from 7 million to 31 million tons, but production capacity surged from 11 million to 53 million tons during the same period. This widening gap has led to oversupply, driving down prices and increasing competition among producers.
In addition to domestic overcapacity, the Chinese market has also been flooded with inexpensive methanol imports, primarily from the Middle East. These imports offer a significant cost advantage due to lower natural gas prices and efficient production processes. Transportation costs from the Middle East to China are relatively low, making these imports even more competitive. As a result, port prices in eastern and southern China have often been lower than those on the mainland, putting pressure on local producers.
To address this issue, the Chinese government initiated anti-dumping investigations against methanol imports from several countries in 2009. Although import volumes declined slightly after the investigation, the overall market situation did not improve significantly. In 2012, methanol imports totaled about 5 million tons, and the trend is expected to continue in 2013.
With the combination of high domestic production and low-cost imports, the operating rates of methanol companies have remained low. In 2007, the average operating rate was around 55%, but by 2009, it had dropped to 39%. Though it improved slightly in later years, it still hovered below 50% in 2012.
Methanol prices in China have also been under downward pressure. In May 2008, prices were around 4,800 yuan per ton, but they fell sharply to 1,700 yuan per ton by 2009. Prices rebounded slightly as global oil prices and input costs rose, but overall, methanol remained relatively cheap. As of April 2013, prices ranged from 2,400 to 2,500 yuan per ton in major markets, with prices in Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang even lower, at 2,000 to 2,100 yuan per ton.