Jingbao Coking: Successful transformation and upgrading of traditional coking industry

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Jingbao Coking: Successful Transformation and Upgrading of a Traditional Coking Enterprise Author/Source: Sinochem News Network Date: June 21, 2019 Clicks: 18 On June 18, a special research team focused on gas purification in China’s coal chemical industry visited Pingdingshan Jingbao Coking Co., Ltd. under China Pingmei Shenma Group to conduct an in-depth investigation of this coking enterprise. The investigation revealed that the company has successfully transformed from a traditional coking enterprise into a modern, resource-saving, energy-efficient, environmentally friendly enterprise with garden-like conditions, achieving successful transformation and upgrading. At the research and discussion meeting, Xing Jianghai, the executive vice general manager of Jingbao Coking, explained that Jingbao Coking Company was established in November 2009. It is a mixed-ownership enterprise formed through a joint venture between China Pingmei Shennma Group Co., Ltd. and Baofeng County Jingbao Coking Co., Ltd.; the Pingmei Shennma Group holds 51% of the shares while Baofeng County Jingbao Coking Co., Ltd. holds 49%. The company mainly produces high-quality coke and chemical products. In 2011, in order to extend the industrial chain, increase product diversity, and make full use of the by-product coke oven gas, the company jointly invested with XinAo Gas Development Co., Ltd. to establish Henan Jingbao XinAo Energy Co., Ltd., with Jingbao Coking holding 51% of the shares. The LNG production facility built using coke oven gas is the first of its kind in China to operate successfully; it produces 70,000 tons of LNG per year, laying a solid foundation for the company’s transformation and upgrading. It is regarded by the industry as a model of a successful enterprise with a mixed ownership structure. After a decade of development, Jingbao Coking has achieved significant progress, rapid transformation, and steady upgrading. It operates a project for producing 1.3 million tons of rammed coke as well as carrying out comprehensive utilization of by-products; it has a coal washing plant with an annual capacity of 1.2 million tons, a dry quenching unit with a capacity of 160 tons per hour, and facilities for producing coal tar, crude benzene, and sulfuric acid. The company also processes 300 million cubic meters of coke oven gas per year, resulting in the production of 70,000 tons of LNG. In 2018, it achieved sales revenue of 4.6 billion yuan, with profits of around 600 million yuan. Moreover, it features advanced technologies and stable product quality, enjoying a good reputation among both customers and **. According to Xing Jianghai, through the joint efforts of the people at Jingbao, and by increasing investment in technological innovation, numerous improvements have been made in areas such as the upgrading of carbonization chambers, the use of high-frequency multi-hammer ramming equipment, and the application of automatic heating technologies for coke ovens. These efforts have yielded good results, helping to achieve energy savings and improved efficiency. The company has successively been awarded the Henan Province ’s ‘May 1st Labor Medal’, Pingdingshan City ’s ‘Mayor’s Quality Award’, as well as various honors from the group itself, including ‘Advanced Unit in Work Safety’, ‘Advanced Unit in Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction’, ‘Advanced Unit in Business Management’, and ‘Advanced Grassroots Party Organization’. In recent years, **amid the increasing efforts to improve environmental management, the treatment of waste has become an insurmountable hurdle for corporate development. The coking industry is a traditional sector, and its production process generates large amounts of pollutants such as dust, waste gas, and wastewater. Without effective treatment plans and measures, companies not only fail to develop but also struggle to survive. Xing Haijiang said that Jingbao Coking has actively responded to **environmental protection policies through practical actions, adhering to the principle that \"survival requires compliance with standards, and development must be green.\" It has carried out a number of environmental improvement projects, implementing thorough improvements and comprehensive utilization measures for wastewater treatment, flue gas desulfurization and denitrification, as well as the control of VOCs in the factory area. For the advanced wastewater treatment project, an additional investment of over 6 million yuan was made to upgrade the existing treatment systems; these systems have now been put into operation, and their output meets all the standards required for reused water. This has significantly increased the rate of reuse of reclaimed water, allowing for a reduction of around 350,000 cubic meters of fresh water to be used each year. For the flue gas desulfurization, denitrification, and waste heat utilization project, the company invested 46 million yuan. Taking into account the characteristics of this industry, the ammonia-based desulfurization method and the SCR denitrification process were employed, along with integrated waste heat utilization and flue gas whitening technologies. The system is currently operating properly, with excellent results, meeting ultra-low emission standards. For the VOCs control project at the factory site, the company carried out Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) activities, and conducted thorough treatment of areas that generate VOCs, such as the oil storage tanks, crude benzene intermediate tanks, biochemical wastewater treatment plants, and other related areas; this work has now been completed. In addition, the company has made significant efforts in addressing uncontrolled emissions, such as implementing full enclosure for materials stored in coal yards, reducing the release of pollutants from exhaust gases, and promoting greening of the factory area. It has invested over 85 million yuan in these efforts, achieving good results. Xing Jianghai said that transformation and upgrading mean pursuing a path of green development that emphasizes energy conservation and environmental protection. In the future, Jingbao Coking will build on its traditional coal coking industry by extending its industrial chain, focusing on the deep processing of high-value chemical products and investing in clean energy solutions. It will continue to seek comprehensive utilization of by-products within the framework of environmental protection concepts, make new breakthroughs in the recovery and utilization of the large amount of hydrogen produced as a by-product of LNG combustion, and further explore new technologies for energy conservation and emission reduction. To further expand the market, improve energy efficiency and productivity, and identify new sources of growth, it is necessary to not only pursue vertical expansion but also horizontal expansion in order to achieve diversified product development. Experts from the research team said that Jingbao Coking’s substantial investment in energy conservation and environmental protection, along with its technological innovations, reflect the sense of responsibility and commitment of a large enterprise. They believe that focusing on environmental protection in the development of Jingbao Coking is the direction for the company’s future growth, as well as an essential path for its transformation and upgrading. Only by continuing to convert by-products into products with high added value on this basis can enterprises achieve sustainable development in the long term. For example, the roughly 3,000 cubic meters per hour of crude hydrogen produced as a by-product should be made full use of to produce high-quality hydrogen peroxide and develop hydrogenation-reduction products. In addition, it is necessary to focus on close cooperation with research institutions, to cultivate professional chemical engineering talents from within the company, by bringing in experts and sending employees out for training, thereby strengthening the connection between research and production. This will help to enhance the company’s technological capabilities while achieving a win-win situation for all parties involved.