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It consumes the black sludge and outputs clean soil that meets standards; the oil is recovered and reused, thus preventing secondary pollution. Shandong Chanyan Oasis Environment has successfully developed an environmentally friendly \"new weapon\" by transforming the microwave heating technology for treating sludge into intelligent, eco-friendly equipment, thereby extracting value from hazardous waste and fostering a green circular economy. “The dream has finally become a reality! ”At the beginning of August, Xu Changyou, the person in charge of the microwave sludge thermal desorption project at the Shandong Research and Development Institute, spoke about the commercialization of these results, unable to hide his excitement. Since the beginning of this year, environmental protection companies from various places have been coming to him in search of cooperation. This new equipment is in operation at the High-Tech Innovation Park of the Shandong Production and Research Institute. According to staff member Jin Xiantao, in terms of its working principle, it functions like a super-large \"microwave oven,\" using microwaves to directly heat and treat the hazardous waste from the refining industry – sludge. The oil is recovered by \"baking\" it; 99% of the harmful substances in the sludge are removed, and the oil content can be reduced to 0.05%. This allows the material to be used directly in farming or for road construction, resulting in a savings of over 40% in energy consumption. The organic gases generated during this process are treated by an organic waste gas treatment system, ensuring that emissions meet all regulatory standards. According to public data, China generates about 10 million tons of sludge each year, and the amount of sludge that still needs to be processed, as well as oil-contaminated soil, is even greater. “Our goal is to restore polluted soil to its original state. ”Xu Changyou said. According to the technical director of a petrochemical company in the province, sludge contains large amounts of toxic and harmful substances, including pathogenic bacteria, parasites, as well as heavy metals such as copper, zinc, and chromium. If discharged without treatment, it will cause severe pollution to the surrounding soil, water bodies, and air. The **List of Hazardous Wastes** has long classified used mineral oil and wastes containing mineral oil as hazardous wastes, requiring harmless treatment; otherwise, it will harm the ecosystem and human health. Currently, traditional treatment methods include incineration, biological treatment, solvent extraction, etc., which are costly and inefficient, and also generate new pollutants. The comprehensive treatment of oily sludge to render it harmless and clean, while recovering the resources contained within, has become one of the key priorities in the fields of environmental protection and the oil industry both domestically and internationally. Xu Changyou and his team began working in the field of microwaves in 2010. After conducting research, they focused on the environmental protection industry, using microwave technology to contribute to the development of a green circular economy. The technology they studied intensively went through step-by-step technical verification, and experimental equipment was produced for use by Karamay Oil Services Company. The technology is mature, but to achieve commercialization, investment is needed, factories must be built, and continuous improvements are required to reduce costs. After the establishment of the Shandong Institute of Industrial Technology, Xu Changyou’s team was brought to Jinan to receive comprehensive support, thereby accelerating the incubation process. Over the course of one and a half years, the technology and products have been upgraded three times, and the equipment has evolved from semi-automated to fully automated and then to information-based systems; the daily processing capacity has increased from 3 tons initially to 50 tons at present. A “cloud-based, intelligent, digital platform for the remediation of hazardous and solid waste” has been created by utilizing sensors, the Internet of Things, and other technologies. “Since it is about environmental protection, complete ‘greenness’ should be achieved. Our only energy consumption is electricity, with almost no carbon emissions. Through continuous technological innovation and improvement, this set of equipment can now be considered an effective tool for pollution control. It features modular design, low space requirements, and low energy consumption, making it suitable for various applications. ”Xu Changyou explained that in addition to oil, soils contaminated by chemicals, pesticides, and heavy metals are also effective. However, the implementation of any new technology requires continuous improvement and overcoming numerous challenges in order to enhance the performance of the equipment. Xu Changyou gave an example of how to transport the viscous sludge smoothly into the \"oven,\" that is, the \"feeding\" system, a problem that had troubled them for a long time. Due to the special properties of the sludge – its viscosity and varying moisture content – conventional feeding methods easily lead to blockages. To address this issue, they developed five different solutions and created special feeding devices, ultimately overcoming this problem while also **reducing costs**. “In the initial stage, it’s all about investment – capital, talent, technology, equipment… with no returns in sight. Innovation requires determination. ”Xu Changyou is pleased that, with the strong support of the provincial and municipal authorities, Shandong Institute of Production and Research provided comprehensive assistance by offering research funds and facilities for development, and helped him assemble a core team whose expertise spans 8 fields including thermal energy, environmental chemistry, mechanical engineering, and physical electronics. Their first set of equipment has been put into use at the Daqing Oil Field, with good results. Currently, several enterprises in the province are implementing this “new weapon”. Shandong has a large number of local refining enterprises. With an increasing emphasis on the ecological environment, there is a growing focus on shifting from end-of-pipe treatment to source reduction. Driven by innovation and empowered by technology, these enterprises are actively promoting the transformation and upgrading of traditional environmental protection industries, thereby facilitating the transition to new forms of growth momentum. (Dazhong Daily)