The invention provides a low-
energy consumption method for preparing 
ethanol and co-producing a mixed 
solvent through 
acetic acid hydrogenation. The method comprises 1, 
gas phase hydrogenation, 2, gas-liquid separation, 3, 
esterification reaction and 4, product refining: feeding a 
liquid product B into a 
neutralization reactor, adding an alkaline substance into the reactor, carrying out a 
neutralization reaction process, feeding the 
neutralization product into a first rectifying 
tower, feeding a part of the first rectifying 
tower top fraction back to a 
gas phase hydrogenation reactor, feeding the first rectifying 
tower bottom fraction into a second rectifying tower, feeding a part of the second rectifying tower top fraction back to the 
gas phase hydrogenation reactor, collecting a part of the second rectifying tower top fraction as a mixed 
solvent, wherein the mixed 
solvent comprises 
ethanol, 
ethyl acetate and water according to an 
ethanol-
ethyl acetate mass ratio of 1: 0.05-1.1, has 
water content of 1-15wt% and an acidity value of 0-30mg / L and the second rectifying tower bottom fraction contains water, acetate and 
butanol, feeding the second rectifying tower bottom fraction into a third rectifying tower, and carrying out separation to obtain a third rectifying tower bottom fraction containing water, acetate and 
butanol and a third rectifying tower top fraction containing ethanol and water, wherein the third rectifying tower top fraction has 
ethanol content of 85-95wt% and an acidity value of 0-25mg / L. The method can reduce 
energy consumption and improve ethanol product quality.