The largest single coal-to-gas project is once again under environmental supervision

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The Largest Coal-to-Gas Project Faces Further Environmental Supervision Author/Source: Date: 2017-06-13 Clicks: 8 Recently, the Environmental Protection Department of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region issued a notice titled “Notice on Imposing Supervision on the Serious Environmental Issues Related to the Coal-to-Natural Gas Project of Yili Xintian Coal Chemical Co., Ltd.,” stating that the project had violated the environmental protection regulations regarding the principle of \"simultaneous implementation of environmental protection measures along with project construction.\" Despite the fact that various environmental protection facilities had not yet been built, the project started operations on March 6, 2017. The Xinjiang Environmental Protection Department has decided to place Yili Xintian Coal Chemical Co., Ltd. under supervised inspection and ordered it to make corrections within a specified time frame. In December 2016, the environmental impact assessment report for Yili Xintian Coal Chemical Co., Ltd.’s project to produce 2 billion cubic meters per year of coal-based natural gas was approved by the **Ministry of Environmental Protection, under document reference No. Huan Shen [2016] 162. It was approved by the **National Development and Reform Commission in May 2017. According to reports, on March 29, 2017, the A-series process of Yili Xintian Coal Chemical Co., Ltd.’s project aimed at producing 2 billion cubic meters of coal-derived natural gas per year was brought online successfully; qualified natural gas was generated and fed into the first station of the West-East Gas Pipeline in Yining. On June 6, Zhao Qing, deputy head of the People’s Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, while conducting an inspection of the Xintian coal-to-gas project, first congratulated the project on its stable operation following the start of production. Regarding the issues related to gas prices and subsidies raised by Xintian Company, he ordered the People’s Government of Ili Prefecture to prepare a special report on these matters. At the same time, regarding the environmental protection issues that arose during Xin Tian Company’s testing period, it is requested that the Ili Prefecture get in touch with the Autonomous Region’s Environmental Protection Department as soon as possible to provide greater guidance to Xin Tian Company. The Yili Xintian coal-to-gas project has a total investment of 16.09 billion yuan. It is located in the Yili Xintian Coal Chemical Industry Park in Yining City, Yili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, covering an area of 290.15 hectares. It was jointly invested and constructed by Zhejiang Energy Group Co., Ltd. and Shandong Energy Xinwen Mining Group Co., Ltd., leveraging the strengths of these two groups in areas such as coal, coal chemical processing, natural gas markets, and power generation. On March 15, 2013, it was designated as a **model project for the deep processing of coal under the 12th Five-Year Plan**, tasked primarily with the efficient treatment of wastewater generated in fixed-bed coal gasification processes, the industrialization of proprietary methanization technologies, and the demonstration of self-developed major equipment. Key technologies and demonstrations for wastewater treatment and utilization in fixed-bed gasification have been listed as an **863 research project. Notice on Designating the Coal-to-Natural Gas Project of Yili Xintian Coal Chemical Co., Ltd. for Special Supervision Due to Serious Environmental Issues Yili Xintian Coal Chemical Co., Ltd.: In April 2017, the autonomous region’s environmental protection inspection team, in accordance with the Ministry of Environmental Protection’s approval document regarding the environmental impact assessment report for Yili Xintian Coal Chemical Co., Ltd.’s coal-to-natural gas project with an annual production capacity of 2 billion cubic meters (Document No. Huan Shen [2016] 162), as well as the relevant provisions of the “three simultaneities” principle in environmental protection, identified serious violations of this principle by your company. In accordance with the relevant provisions of the \"Procedures for Supervision and Monitoring of Environmental Protection Projects by the Autonomous Region Environmental Protection Department (Trial)\\", our department has decided to place your company under supervision and monitoring, requiring it to make corrections within a specified time frame. The key environmental issues that require attention under this supervision, as well as the corresponding requirements for correction, are as follows:

I. Key environmental issues under supervision
Your company’s coal-to-natural gas project, with an annual production capacity of 2 billion cubic meters, failed to complete 14 environmental protection projects before starting operations. These projects include waste gas thermal oxidation treatment facilities in the gas purification section, devices for the crystallization of concentrated brine, temporary storage tanks for wastewater along with biological deodorization and photocatalytic oxidation systems for odor control at the wastewater treatment plant, integrated ultrasonic desulfurization and dust removal systems for boiler exhaust gases in the thermal power plant, oil and gas recovery systems in the tank areas and loading/unloading systems, temporary storage tanks for 210,000 cubic meters of wastewater and 15,000 cubic meters of concentrated brine, systems for drying biochemical sludge, hazardous waste landfills, ammonia burners for handling accidental ammonia leaks in the freezing station, online monitoring systems for pollutants in the factory area (wastewater and exhaust gases), groundwater monitoring systems (monitoring wells), online carbon dioxide monitoring systems in the Tiechangou community, and backup sulfur recovery systems for acidic gases. In violation of the regulations regarding the simultaneous implementation of environmental protection measures alongside construction activities, your company started production on March 6, 2017, without completing these projects first. 　　II. Requirements for Rectification Your company is required to carry out the following rectification tasks: (1) By June 15, 2017, formulate a \"Rectification Plan for 14 Environmental Protection Projects That Have Not Yet Been Completed in Yili Xintian Coal Chemical Co., Ltd.’s 2 billion cubic meters of coal-to-natural gas project\" and submit it to our department. The plan should specify in detail the completion and commissioning dates for the 14 environmental protection projects that have not yet been built, in order to accelerate the construction of these necessary environmental protection facilities. 　　(II) In accordance with the requirements set out in the approval document for the project’s environmental impact assessment, online monitoring facilities must be installed at the wastewater and exhaust gas discharge points and tested for compliance by June 15, 2017. 　　(III) Starting from June 15, 2017, the progress of the corrective actions shall be reported to the Yili Prefecture Environmental Protection Bureau by the 15th of each month. After conducting on-site inspections of these reports, the Yili Prefecture Environmental Protection Bureau shall submit a report to our department’s supervision office by the 20th of each month, with a copy sent to the Autonomous Region Environmental Inspection Corps. 　　III. Time limit for rectification In accordance with the relevant provisions of the \"Procedures for Supervision and Oversight of Environmental Protection Matters by the Autonomous Region Environmental Protection Department (Trial)\\", our department has decided to set a one-year time limit for supervision and oversight of your unit (from May 20, 2017, to May 19, 2018). Your company must carry out the necessary rectifications within this time limit; failure to do so will result in our department taking action against your company and the relevant responsible persons in accordance with relevant laws and regulations. 　　The Environmental Protection Bureau of Ili Prefecture investigated and dealt with the company’s environmental violations in a strict and prompt manner, in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, and monitored the progress of these actions. The Autonomous Region’s Environmental Inspection Corps conducted irregular inspections to assess the rectification and implementation of these serious environmental issues.