Public notice on the environmental impact assessment for the Sino-Saudi joint venture project for 700,000 tons of coal-based olefins production

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Public Notice on the Environmental Impact Assessment for the Sino-Saudi Joint Venture Project for 700,000 Tons of Coal-to-Olefins Production. Author/Source: Date: 2017-07-12. Clicks: 33. On July 11, Shenhua Ningxia Coal and Saudi Basic Industries Corporation issued the second public notice regarding the environmental impact assessment for this demonstration project aimed at producing 700,000 tons of coal-to-olefins materials per year. The total investment in the project is over 20 billion yuan, and it is located in the coal chemical industry park (Area A) of the Ningdong Energy and Chemical Industry Base in Ningxia. In June 2017, the bidding process for the overall project design and technical services was launched. The project uses coal as raw material to produce 2 million tons of methanol, which is then further processed to yield polymeric-grade ethylene and propylene. In total, 345,000 tons per year of polyethylene and 423,000 tons per year of polypropylene are produced. The main products include low-density polyethylene (LDPE), ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMEPE), homopolymer and copolymerized polypropylene, random copolymerized polypropylene, and impact-resistant copolymerized polypropylene. Additionally, by-products such as mixed C4 and C5+, sulfur, ammonium sulfate, waxes, waste polymers, and crystalline salts are generated ； The main units include: air separation unit, gasification unit, shift unit, low-temperature methanol washing unit, sulfur recovery unit, methanol synthesis unit, methanol-to-olefins unit, EVA unit, LDPE unit, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene unit, and polypropylene unit. Second Public Notice on the Environmental Impact Assessment for the 700,000-ton/year Coal-to-Olefins New Materials Pilot Project jointly developed by Shenhua Ningxia Coal and Saudi Basic Industries Corporation. I. Overview of the project: (1) Project name: 700,000-ton/year Coal-to-Olefins New Materials Pilot Project jointly developed by Shenhua Ningxia Coal and Saudi Basic Industries Corporation; (2) Location of construction: Coal chemical industry park (Area A), Ningdong Energy and Chemical Industry Base, Ningxia; (3) Nature of the project: New construction; (4) Scale of construction: 700,000 tons per year of olefins produced from coal via methanol conversion. The main products to be produced are 100,000 tons per year of EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer), 210,000 tons per year of LDPE (low-density polyethylene), 35,000 tons per year of UHMWPE (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene), and 430,000 tons per year of PP-ICP/RCP (polypropylene). This project uses coal as a raw material; through gasification and purification, syngas is converted into methanol. After methanol is separated, ethylene and propylene are produced, which are then polymerized to form the final products. It is also accompanied by the construction of storage and transportation facilities, utility systems, auxiliary facilities, and environmental protection systems. 8,000 hours of operation per year. (5) Land area: The total land area is approximately 237.35 hm2. (6) Investment: Approximately over 20 billion RMB, of which environmental protection investments account for about 8% of the total investment amount. II. Main environmental protection measures to be taken: (1) Air environment: The waste gases generated by this project mainly include dust-containing gases from storage, transportation, and crushing processes, flue gases from the power station boilers, acidic gases from the gasification and reforming units, volatile organic compounds produced during production and storage and transportation, as well as odorous gases from the gasification units and wastewater treatment plants. Pollution control measures combine source reduction with end-stage treatment; dust-containing exhaust gases are treated using bag filters and other methods ； The flue gas from the power station boilers is treated using low-nitrogen combustion, SCR denitration, five-electrode electrostatic dust removal, ammonia-based desulfurization, and ultrasonic atomization technology ； Acidic gas is treated using sulfur produced as a by-product of sulfur recovery, while the exhaust gas from sulfur recovery is processed through amine scrubbing + incineration + alkaline scrubbing ； For waste gas containing volatile organic compounds, measures such as fuel gas pipeline recovery, nitrogen blanketing, washing, combustion in RTO units, and oil and gas recovery are primarily employed ； The odor at the sewage treatment plant is treated using a combination of biological trickling filtration and activated carbon adsorption. All sources of exhaust gas pollution can achieve compliant emissions, with sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, soot and dust, as well as volatile organic compounds, meeting the requirements for total emission control. (2) Surface water environment: The production wastewater from this project is treated in two stages, namely pre-treatment in the plant area and treatment at the wastewater treatment station, depending on the type of wastewater and its pollutant composition. Pre-treatment in the plant area primarily involves physical and chemical methods to treat gasification wastewater, low-temperature condensate from the shift unit, oily wastewater and granulation wastewater from the polymerization unit, domestic sewage, and initial rainwater ； The wastewater treatment plant is divided into a comprehensive biochemical treatment system and a reclaimed water treatment system. The integrated biochemical treatment system adopts the AO + high-efficiency sedimentation + V-type filter + ozone contact reaction + BAF process ； The recycled water treatment system employs membrane separation and concentration technologies such as two-stage reverse osmosis; for the concentrated water, \"NF + MVR evaporation crystallization + vacuum drum\" is used to achieve the separation of water and salts. All wastewater from this project is reused after treatment and is not discharged outside. (3) Groundwater environment: The principles of source control, zonal prevention and control, and pollution monitoring are adopted. Appropriate measures shall be taken for processes, pipelines, equipment, sewage storage areas, and structures to prevent and reduce the leakage of pollutants. Appropriate pollution control measures are taken for key, general, and simple impermeable zones respectively, pollution monitoring wells are installed, and emergency response plans are formulated. (4) Acoustic environment: The noise sources for this project come primarily from mechanical equipment. Measures such as using low-noise equipment, implementing vibration reduction and sound insulation techniques, optimizing the layout, and introducing landscaping will be taken to minimize the impact of the project’s construction on the acoustic environment. The noise levels at the factory perimeter and in the surrounding area will meet the relevant standard requirements. (5) Solid waste: The treatment and disposal of solid waste in this project follow the principles of reduction, resource utilization, and harmlessness. General solid waste is handled through methods such as recovery by the manufacturers, comprehensive utilization, and landfilling ； Hazardous waste is disposed of through recycling by the manufacturer or by entrusting it to a third party for disposal. Depending on the nature and type of solid waste, it is all disposed of properly. (6) Ecological environment: During construction, care should be taken to protect the surrounding vegetation; vegetation restoration on temporarily occupied areas should be carried out promptly, and greening measures should be implemented in the factory area to ensure that the ecological environment does not deteriorate. (7) Environmental risks: Ensure scientific management of hazardous substances during the production process, strengthen equipment maintenance, and take proactive measures to prevent pollution incidents ； Install cofferdams, initial rainwater tanks, and accident tanks to ensure that wastewater resulting from production accidents, contaminated fire-fighting water, and contaminated rainwater do not enter the external environment ； Equipped with automatic detection and alarm devices for toxic and harmful substances ； Equip emergency response teams, as well as the necessary equipment and supplies, and formulate emergency plans for sudden environmental incidents. III. Potential environmental impacts of the construction project 1. Environmental impacts during the construction phase These mainly include the effects of dust, wastewater, noise, and solid waste generated during construction on the surrounding environment, as well as the impact of the land occupied for construction on the ecological environment. The construction impacts will disappear once the work is completed. 2. Environmental impacts during operation (1) Atmospheric environmental impact: Only the contribution from this project is taken into consideration; the hourly, daily average, and annual average concentrations of various pollutants emitted under normal operating conditions at all grid points and key monitoring sites within the evaluation area meet the relevant standard requirements ； The combined values of the hourly and daily average concentrations of various pollutants at the concerned sites, along with the current monitoring values, show that, except for inhalable particulate matter PM10 and fine particulate matter PM2.5, which exceed the limits due to their relatively high background levels, all other pollutants meet the relevant standard requirements. (2) Impact on surface water environment: Under all circumstances, the production and domestic wastewater as well as initial rainwater from the project are treated at the wastewater treatment plant and then reused; none of it is discharged, so there is no impact on the surface water environment. (3) Impact on groundwater environment: With strict impermeability measures in place, the impact on the groundwater environment under normal operating conditions is minimal ； Under accident conditions, it will have a certain impact on the groundwater environment in the plant area ； With well-established monitoring and emergency response plans in place, minor impacts are acceptable. (4) Acoustic environmental impact: The main noise sources of the project are crushers, fans, compressors, and various pumps. Try to use low-noise equipment, implement soundproofing and vibration-damping measures, and plant trees around the factory perimeter. After the project is completed, the noise level at the factory boundary will meet the relevant standard requirements. (5) Solid waste: The hazardous waste and general solid waste generated by the project are treated and disposed of in accordance with the principles of reduction, resource utilization, and harmlessness. After appropriate treatment and disposal measures are taken, these various types of solid waste will not cause secondary pollution to the environment. (6) Environmental impact: The land occupied by the project has a certain impact on the surrounding landscape. The industrial exhaust pollutants emitted during the operation period have not had a significant impact on the vegetation and soil in the area surrounding the project site. (7) Electromagnetic radiation: After the project is put into operation, the power-frequency electric fields and power-frequency magnetic fields generated by the substation and transmission lines will meet the corresponding standard requirements. (8) Environmental risks: The types of environmental risk incidents for this project are fires and explosions caused by the leakage of toxic and harmful substances as well as flammable materials. During the operation of the project, provided that scientific and reasonable risk prevention measures as well as emergency response plans are implemented, the probability of risk incidents is low, and environmental risks remain under control. IV. Key points of the environmental impact assessment conclusions outlined in the environmental impact report: The construction of this project is in compliance with the relevant industrial policies and regulations for the coal chemical industry in **, as well as the relevant environmental protection policies, functional zone plans, and environmental protection strategies of ** and the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The project’s components and environmental protection measures meet the requirements set out in the \"Overall Development Plan for the Ningdong Energy and Chemical Industry Base\" in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, as well as those specified in the planning environmental impact assessment and its review comments. The production processes and pollution control measures for the construction project are of advanced technical standard; effective control measures have been implemented for all sources of pollution, ensuring that all types of pollutants are discharged within specified limits ； Overall, the process selection for this project is reasonable. On the premise of ensuring the proper operation of all the plant’s environmental protection facilities and implementing the various environmental protection, energy-saving, and waste-reduction measures as well as environmental risk prevention strategies outlined in this evaluation, the project construction is feasible from an environmental protection perspective. V. The methods and time limits for the public to access the simplified version of the environmental impact report, as well as the methods and time limits for the public to request supplementary information from the project owner or the environmental impact assessment agency appointed by them if they deem it necessary. Within 10 working days of this announcement, those who wish to view the simplified version of the environmental impact report (see attachment) or obtain supplementary information may contact the designated contact person. If you wish to express your opinions, you may do so by sending emails, making phone calls, faxing messages, or writing letters to the project owner and the evaluation agency, in order to share your views on the construction of this project and the environmental impact assessment process (questions unrelated to environmental protection will not be accepted). This will enable us to reflect your opinions accurately and promptly in the environmental impact assessment report. Please also provide your name and basic information (workplace or address, educational level, occupation, contact details, etc.) so that we can get in touch with you if necessary. VI. Scope and main matters of public consultation The scope of this public consultation includes: the area surrounding the construction site, as well as members of the public who are interested in the construction of this project. The main matters for public consultation this time include: 1) Public satisfaction with the environmental quality of the project site ； 2) The public’s level of awareness regarding the construction project, as well as their perception of the extent to which the project affects the quality of the surrounding environment ； 3) Does the public consider the proposed environmental protection measures feasible? 4) Does the public approve of the overall conclusions in the environmental impact assessment report for the construction project? 5) The public’s overall views, suggestions, and requirements regarding construction projects (from an environmental protection perspective).