In a world increasingly shaped by energy insecurity, resource constraints, and volatile geopolitics, forward-thinking solutions to fuel and chemical production are more vital than ever. At FlexOnyx, we’ve long believed that the future of energy doesn’t have to come solely from traditional oil wells. Instead, we’ve championed a flexible, market-driven model that converts non-petroleum feedstocks—like waste plastics—into valuable liquid fuels and petrochemical products. As it turns out, one of the world’s largest economies agrees.
While the world hears about China’s renewable energy expansion, a lesser-known fact often flies under the radar: China is already executing a national-scale version similar to what FlexOnyx aims to do. China has spent years perfecting the conversion of coal—another non-petroleum input—into fuels and petrochemicals. The country now diverts an astonishing 400 million tons of coal each year into coal-to-liquids (CTL), coal-to-chemicals (CTC), and coal-to-gas (SNG) projects. That’s nearly 8% of its total coal consumption and growing fast.
Why does this matter for FlexOnyx? Because it shows that the concept of producing liquid products from non-crude oil sources isn’t just viable—it’s already being proven at industrial scale.
The China Case Study: A Parallel to FlexOnyx
China’s motivations are clear: the country has limited oil reserves but abundant coal, accounting for over 90% of its fossil energy resources. In an effort to reduce dependence on imported oil, Chinese companies and government planners have systematically built up an industry that takes coal and transforms it into diesel, gasoline, olefins (used in plastic production), and synthetic natural gas.
The result? An entire industrial economy built on value-added feedstock conversion. China’s largest coal conversion plant—the Shenhua CTL facility in Ordos—alone produces roughly 20,000 barrels of liquid fuels per day. The broader industry, supported by both state-owned enterprises and private firms, can generate over 30 million tons of synthetic oil-equivalent products annually. This is not theory or pilot testing. This is production at a massive scale.
FlexOnyx’s business logic is strikingly similar: start with an underutilized and inexpensive resource, apply proven process technologies, and produce high-value outputs that slot into existing petrochemical and fuel supply chains. FlexOnyx uses a more modern approach: FlexFeed™ which can use waste plastics, as well as a range of other inputs as feedstock. The idea is to move up the value chain and generate critical fuels and chemical building blocks from alternatives to crude oil.
Economics: Market-Driven, Not Subsidy-Reliant
What’s remarkable about China’s coal conversion sector is that it isn’t just a top-down directive. Economics have played a powerful role. In recent years, low coal prices and high oil prices have created ideal conditions for coal conversion projects. Many Chinese plants operate profitably when oil is above $50 per barrel—a level we’ve consistently hovered around or exceeded in recent years. Add to that the energy security imperative, and you have a long-term, strategically sound industrial model.
FlexOnyx operates on similar economic principles. By converting materials that are inexpensive and abundant into products like ultra-low sulfur diesel and petrochemical feedstocks, the economics are almost too good to be true. We don’t need subsidies to justify our model. The numbers make sense on their own.
Strategic Momentum
China’s coal conversion industry has made impressive strides, proving that large-scale feedstock-to-fuel and chemical conversion is both technically feasible and operationally scalable. However, much of that progress has been driven by necessity—specifically, a need to reduce dependence on imported oil.
FlexOnyx is different by design. While responsible energy independence is a key goal of ours, our project will be built where efficiency isn’t just an advantage—it’s a requirement. Without government mandates or subsidies to lean on, FlexOnyx is structured from the ground up to thrive under real-world market pressures. That means sharper economics, smarter operations, and technologies deployed with a relentless focus on value creation. We’re not converting plastic waste because we have to—we’re doing it because it makes business sense.
While China has shown that these processes can function at scale, FlexOnyx is positioned to prove they can do so with plastic waste as a feedstock and demand for our end products built into mature markets, we’re not just following a proven path—we’re paving a better one.
The Bottom Line
If there’s any doubt that a project like FlexOnyx can succeed, look no further than China’s coal conversion industry. It has scaled from niche experiments into a cornerstone of the country’s industrial base, demonstrating the viability of non-petroleum pathways to produce fuels and chemicals. This is not just smart energy policy—it’s smart business.
FlexOnyx applies this proven model to a 21st-century challenge: transforming plastic waste from a global liability into a strategic resource. China may have chosen strictly coal, but the logic, the scale, and the vision are strikingly aligned.
That’s not just validation. It’s a signal that the world is ready for what FlexOnyx offers.
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