SELICL was established in 2008 with the approval of National Development and Reform Commission. Its predecessor is Synfuels Engineering Research Centre, which was initiated at the early beginning of 21st century when ICC was realizing its leapfrog development. SELICL conducts R&D on coal-based liquid fuels production technology. In the 10th Five Year Plan period, the Fisher-Tropsch process using ICC’s iron catalysts was successfully operated on pilot-scale platform for 5000 hrs, with high quality diesel product being superior to Europe IV standard. With 58 patents having been applied, of which 27 authorized, ICC boasts the intellectual right of coal-based slurry bed liquid fuel synthesis. The oil-electricity co-production demonstration plant employing this technology at Lu’an, Shanxi marks the start-up of its industrialization.
       Based on above-mentioned achievements, ICC set up Synfuels China Ltd in June 2006, with five co-investors including Inner Mongolia Yitai Group Ltd, China Shenhua Group, Lu’an Mining Group Ltd, Xuzhou Mining Business Group Ltd and Lianshun Energy Co Ltd. In March 2009, trial operation of the industrial demonstration plant built at Erdos, Inner Mongolia was successfully performed, with the diesel product conforming to Europe V standard.