(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-01-04 17:21

BEIJING -- The country's largest chemical enterprise, ChemChina, said on Thursday that it had set a target of zero emissions and would put emissions reduction at the core of its work for 2008.

Ren Jianxin, president of ChemChina, told the annual work meeting that several pilot projects would aim to achieve zero discharge of pollutants into waste water, with a special budget of 700 million yuan (US$96 million).

"In 2008, ChemChina will reduce the energy consumption of unit output value by seven percent, while the discharge of waste water, carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide will be lowered by more than three percent," he said.

ChemChina's waste water zero discharge technologies have been proven successful, according to expert appraisals.

Among these technologies, the "in-depth treatment of waste water from oil refineries" and the "zero discharge of waste water in chlorine-alkali industry" have been appraised by membrane and water treatment experts from universities and research institutes.

ChemChina has been a leader in the Chinese chemical industry in energy conservation and emissions reduction. In 2007, it invested 800 million yuan in these efforts. During the first 11 months of 2007, 18 of its key subsidiaries saved 222,600 tons of standard coal, lowering its energy intensity by more than 7 percent.

ChemChina was established in May 2004. By 2007, it ranked 35th among the country's 500 top enterprises, with assets and sales both exceeding 100 billion yuan.

Its core businesses include new materials and raw materials, specialty chemicals, oil refining, agricultural chemicals and chlorine-alkali chemicals.