Not long ago, Shanxi Jincheng, a key coal chemical industry base in China, held a special meeting to promote the implementation of a zero-emission wastewater process within its coal chemical enterprises. The question remains: can the coal chemical industry truly achieve zero wastewater discharge? To find out, reporters conducted an in-depth investigation.
Water consumption and wastewater generation are major concerns for the Shangma Coal Chemical Project, which not only uses large amounts of water but also produces significant volumes of wastewater. For example, producing one ton of methanol requires 10 to 15 tons of water, and a plant with an annual output of 200,000 tons discharges 100 tons of wastewater per hour. A “18·30 project†(180,000 tons of synthetic ammonia and 300,000 tons of urea) recycles 20,000 cubic meters of water hourly. Meanwhile, a dimethyl ether plant producing 10,000 tons annually consumes 8,000 tons of water daily. As of last year, Jincheng had an annual production capacity of 2.92 million tons of urea and 380,000 tons of methanol. By 2010, this was expected to rise to 6 million tons of urea, 2 million tons of methanol, 400,000 tons of dimethyl ether, and 100,000 tons of coal-based oil. With such massive expansion, water resource challenges have become more severe. The Dan and Yan Rivers are already at saturation levels, with the Dan River far exceeding its environmental capacity.
Experts estimate that if all qualified coal chemical companies in Jincheng adopt zero wastewater discharge, they could save up to 1 billion cubic meters of cooling water annually—equivalent to the amount of water transferred from the South to North Water Transfer Project in 2010.
In fact, the National Development and Reform Commission issued a circular as early as 2006, encouraging water-saving technologies and promoting the reuse of wastewater. However, achieving true zero discharge is not straightforward.
One of the main challenges is desalination. While wastewater from coal chemical plants meets environmental standards, it contains salts like NaCl, Na₂SO₄, CaCl₂, MgSO₄, and MgCl₂. These salts do not precipitate easily and remain in the water, leading to scaling, corrosion, and sludge buildup if reused directly. Experts suggest that desalination is essential for full reuse, but it comes with high costs. For instance, a 200,000-ton-per-year methanol plant would require at least 3 million yuan in investment, with operating costs reaching 2-3 yuan per ton of treated water—higher than the cost of fresh water. Many companies are reluctant to invest due to economic reasons.
Even after desalination, only 60% to 70% of water can be reused, leaving 30% to 40% of concentrated brine that must be discharged. This concentrated water, rich in salt, poses serious risks if released into the environment. It can cause soil salinization and damage equipment and pipelines. Some companies use this water for dust suppression or coal handling, but these uses are limited by weather and operational conditions, making full utilization difficult.
To truly achieve zero wastewater discharge, experts recommend a multi-step approach: first, reduce water usage at the source and improve efficiency. Then, treat and reuse processed wastewater through membrane concentration, while using concentrated brine for non-critical purposes. Any remaining waste water should be discharged responsibly, ideally after pretreatment, evaporation, and desalination. This comprehensive strategy, though costly, represents the most effective path toward true "zero discharge."
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