According to Sinopec, as of 2024, the proportion of ethane cracking capacity in China's ethylene production has increased to around 8%. Naphtha crackers remain the main ethylene production route, accounting for about 70%. The coal-to-olefins route accounted for about 12% while the methanol-to-olefins route accounted for about 5%. It is expected that around 2030, there will be over 6 million tons/year of ethane crackers in operation in China, with a total production capacity of over 10 million tons/year. In addition, there are many ethane crackers being planned.

In the past, there were many advantages in producing ethylene from ethane crackers. Firstly, ethane is one of the main components of natural gas and shale gas, and its price is usually lower compared to traditional feedstocks such as naphtha. But the April tariff war between China and the United States led to a surge in ethane import tariffs from the previous 1% to 126%. The cost has significantly increased. As of now, China has not issued an exemption for ethane, and companies are still taking a wait-and-see stance. Further, the process of producing ethylene from ethane is relatively simple, mainly including two steps: ethane cracking and separation. Thirdly, carbon emissions from ethane cracking are relatively low.