Inner Mongolia terminates the \"coal-water cooperation\" agreement in Xing and Xi leagues, imposing strict controls on coal chemical projects

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Inner Mongolia terminates the ‘coal-water cooperation’ agreement in Xingan and Xilin Gol leagues; strict controls imposed on coal chemical projects. Author/Source: Date: 2018-02-11. Clicks: 69. The ‘coal-water cooperation’ framework agreement between Xingan League and Xilin Gol League in Inner Mongolia, which was criticized by the central environmental protection inspection team, has been terminated; the Xingan Industrial Park and its management committee in Xilin Gol League have also been abolished. **The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Committee announced today (February 8) the progress made in addressing the issues identified during the central environmental protection inspections. It was stated that a \"13th Five-Year Plan for the development of the coal-based fuel industry in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region\" has been formulated; aside from the coal-based fuel projects outlined in this plan, no new such projects will be established in Hulunbuir, Xingan League, and Xilin Gol League during the 13th Five-Year Plan period. From July 14 to August 14, 2016, the First Central Environmental Protection Inspection Team conducted an environmental protection inspection in Inner Mongolia, and submitted its inspection findings on November 12, 2016. The inspector’s remarks state that “Hulunbuir and Xingan League need to pay attention to the severe impacts and consequences of extensive and unregulated development on the ecological environment.” The move by Xingan League and Xilin Gol League to pursue a \"coal-water cooperation\" approach for the development of coal chemical industries is concerning. ” According to the above-mentioned rectification measures, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has commissioned its Regional Environmental Science Institute to carry out environmental impact assessments for planning purposes, in order to enforce strict requirements regarding environmental approvals for projects and prevent any impact or damage to ecological security resulting from project construction. At the same time, supervision of coal chemical projects should be strengthened. For coal chemical projects that are part of the planned development, all aspects ranging from project approval to operation must comply with various requirements related to project approval, construction, operation, and environmental protection. Regular inspections and supervision should be carried out, as well as enhanced measures to prevent and control environmental risks. According to the reports on the corrective actions taken, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has also established a long-term management mechanism for coal chemical projects. All non-classified coal chemical projects must go through the online approval and supervision platform for investment projects in the autonomous region; approval documents related to project authorization, site selection, environmental impact assessment, water resource evaluation, soil and water conservation, and safety assessments are made public in a timely manner, allowing for social oversight. This approach helps to prevent environmental pollution at its source and promotes the sustainable development of the coal chemical industry. In response to the comments made by the inspectors, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has insufficient research on the spatial layout, sustainable development, and environmental protection of industries such as coal chemical processing, aluminum electrolysis, and thermal power generation; in particular, there are few measures in place for controlling environmental risks associated with these industries, and high-water-consumption projects have a significant impact on the environment. ”Regarding this issue, the progress in making corrections shows that, in the field of coal chemistry, the autonomous region has issued the \"Implementation Plan for Adjusting the Structure, Promoting Transformation, and Improving Efficiency in the Petrochemical Industry of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,\" which aims to strictly control the scale of new projects and to optimize the industrial layout as a whole. In the field of electrolytic aluminum, Inner Mongolia has issued the \"Implementation Plan for the Special Campaign to Rectify Illegal and Non-compliant Projects in the Electrolytic Aluminum Industry in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,\" aiming to strictly control the addition of new production capacity for electrolytic aluminum; no approval will be given for new electrolytic aluminum projects that aim to increase production capacity. In the field of thermal power, Inner Mongolia issued the \"Notice on Implementing Further Regulations on the Planning and Construction of Coal-fired Power Projects\" as well as the \"13th Five-Year Plan for Power Development in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.\" These measures aim to strengthen oversight over the planning and construction of coal-fired power projects. Apart from those used for meeting people’s heating needs, projects included in the plan that have not yet been approved will have their approval processes postponed; projects that have been approved but not yet started, as well as those that began construction in 2016 but for which no additional capacity has been secured, must cease construction. The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Committee and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region ** stated that they will accelerate the adjustment of the industrial structure. Adhering to a strategy of supporting some sectors while curbing others, and providing assistance while exercising control, we promote the integrated development of traditional industries and emerging industries. We restrict the mere expansion of resource-based industries, and focus on using advanced skills and cutting-edge technologies to upgrade industries such as energy, chemicals, metallurgy, building materials, and agricultural and livestock product processing. We give priority to the development of industries that involve further processing of resources, thereby facilitating the modernization of traditional industries. At the same time, it is necessary to implement the relevant plans, the autonomous region’s functional zone planning, and the outline of the 13th Five-Year Plan; strengthen environmental impact assessments for industrial development plans, and impose strict controls on the overall scale of industries such as coal chemical processing, aluminum electrolysis, and thermal power generation, based on the carrying capacity of the ecological environment and water resources. Adjust and optimize the industrial layout, accelerate the consolidation of industrial parks, and promote concentrated, aggregated, and intensive industrial development. The 600,000-ton coal-to-ethylene glycol project of Inner Mongolia Huiteng Energy Chemical Co., Ltd. and the Bofa new calcium carbide-based acetylene chemical project are undergoing water resource assessments as required, and neither of them has started construction yet. Regarding the progress made in these improvements, Inner Mongolia has also formulated a negative list of industries that are not permitted to operate in the region’s key ecological function areas. Strengthen the audits on clean production in industries such as coal chemical processing, electrolytic aluminum production, and thermal power generation, encourage enterprises to carry out technological upgrades for clean production, and further improve their levels of clean production. Adhere to the principle of \"determining production based on water availability and operating in accordance with water resources,\" strengthen the management of planned water use, and enforce strict systems for evaluating water resource needs in construction projects as well as for approving water withdrawal permits.