Making a clean break

Expanding green GDP

This year will see the consolidation and enhancement of carbon sink capabilities－carbon sinks are such things as forests and oceans that absorb more carbon than they release－as well as near-zero carbon emission initiatives, carbon peak pilot demonstration projects, and research in carbon capture, utilization and storage technologies, according to the provincial work plan.

Reaffirming Shanxi's green priorities, provincial Governor Lan Fo'an said Shanxi should "strengthen research on energy-saving and low-carbon technologies, promote energy conservation and carbon reduction in key areas, and continuously expand its green GDP with low energy consumption and low emissions".

Leveraging the province's energy experience, expertise and infrastructure has been integral to the green transition. An "intelligent transformation" of Shanxi's coal mines to reduce fuel consumption and adapt to the latest green technologies to upgrade the industry covers more than 1,000 major mines and related projects, according to provincial figures.

At energy giant Shanxi Ruiguang Heat and Power, based in the city of Jinzhong, a focus on scientific and technological innovation has made major headway in areas such as waste steam and heat recycling, carbon dioxide capture and utilization, and intelligent fuel control systems to help achieve ultra-low emissions and energy saving, according to the company.

One of its latest projects includes the recovery, storage and mobile use of boiler flue gas, using high-performance heat-absorbing materials to take in and store heat. The project's total waste heat capacity is equivalent to about 12,560 metric tons of standard coal, reducing CO2 emissions by about 31,310 tons, according to company figures.

Under its green approach, the company's coal consumption for power generation is at least 4.7 percent lower than the province's average energy consumption, said deputy general manager and chief engineer Dong Xin.

Major retrofitting work for heating capacity at facilities has also been optimized, with one project saving up to 2,280 tons of standard coal and reducing CO2 emissions by about 5,680 tons a year, Dong said.

"We plan to launch a coal optimization project," Dong said. "We also plan to replace coal trucks with 50 electric heavy-duty trucks, which can save fuel and reduce production costs."

In 2014, the company was the first in Shanxi to move to ultra-low emissions. Anti-pollution achievements include reducing annual emissions of soot by more than 500 tons, sulfur dioxide by about 1,300 tons, and nitrogen oxides by over 1,200 tons, Dong said.

Other recycling initiatives include a pilot project to capture carbon dioxide emissions from power plants to yield liquid CO2 with a purity of about 99 percent, for uses ranging from firefighting materials to plant fertilizer and food refrigeration, Dong said.

"Our company is actively exploring new technologies to make breakthroughs in extending the use of carbon dioxide in the industry chain," he said.

To reduce groundwater use, Shanxi Ruiguang Heat and Power recycles water from its production processes. Under a major urban sewage treatment project involving a daily processing capacity of 200,000 tons, a total of 54.33 million tons of water was processed in 2021, with 1.52 million tons channeled for direct use by the company, and the rest for greening, sanitation, ecological restoration and other uses, Dong said.

The company's "clean coal"-fired facility management projects include extending its use of computers and robots under a "smart coal plant "concept, further cutting labor and production costs, Dong said.

"Finding a suitable green transformation plan is key. It requires a lot of determination, but the switch is inevitable for enterprises," he added.

At Lu'an Chemical Group, optimizing, diversifying and upgrading the use of the province's resources and improving coal efficiency take priority.

Recognizing that the inefficient use of coal adds significantly to pollution risks, the group, based in the city of Changzhi, has rolled out a million-ton liquefaction demonstration project.

Its coal liquefaction production line contributes a total of 1.8 million tons of oil products and chemicals annually, which can be turned into more than 160 products such as oils for engines, drones and construction machinery.

The project also focuses on the treatment and processing of pollutants to realize the clean and optimal use of coal, according to the company.

Coal-derived synthetic products can sell for 30 times more than their base material after processing, Lu'an engineer Yang Zeqing said.