Notice on Removing the Supervision Mechanism for the Serious Environmental Issues Associated with the Coal-to-Natural Gas Project of Yili Xintian Coal Chemical Co., Ltd

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Notice on Removing the Supervision Measures for the Serious Environmental Issues Related to the Coal-to-Natural Gas Project of Yili Xintian Coal Chemical Co., Ltd. Author/Source: Coal Chemical Industry 114 Forum Date: 2020-02-12 Clicks: 52 Yili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture Ecology and Environment Bureau: In accordance with the requirements set out in the “Notice on Imposing Supervision Measures for the Serious Environmental Issues Related to the Coal-to-Natural Gas Project of Yili Xintian Coal Chemical Co., Ltd.” (Xin Huan Fa [2017] No. 113), and taking into account the relevant evidence and conclusions submitted by your bureau to our department in the application to have the supervision measures removed, our department has organized relevant departments and units to review the progress made in addressing those serious environmental issues. It is determined that Yili Xintian Coal Chemical Co., Ltd. in your jurisdiction has essentially completed the required corrective actions, and the resolution of these serious environmental issues meets the standards set forth in the supervision measures. Following a decision made by the department’s management committee, it has been agreed to lift the special supervision imposed on this enterprise due to its serious environmental issues. After the suspension of the special supervision, your unit is requested to continue to strengthen the daily oversight of this enterprise in accordance with the principle of \"local management\", to ensure that all its pollution control facilities are operating properly and that all types of pollutants are discharged in compliance with standards. Additionally, your unit should urge the enterprise to carry out the following tasks: complete the acceptance testing of the CEMS systems for the flue gas after wet electrostatic dust removal in Boiler No. 2 as well as the six CEMS systems for rainwater discharge by the end of October 2019, and complete the environmental impact assessment for the solid waste treatment facilities involved in the project by December 30, 2019. In accordance with the requirements set out in the Ministry of Ecology and Environment’s Reply on Issues Related to the 2 billion cubic meters per year coal-to-natural gas project of Yili Xintian Coal Chemical Co., Ltd. (Document No. Huanban Bianxin [2019] 84), efforts should be accelerated to upgrade the flue gas desulfurization and denitrification systems in the coal powder boilers. In accordance with the relevant regulations of the autonomous region for winning the battle to protect the blue sky, efforts should be made to strengthen the operation and maintenance of VOCs control facilities, as well as to carry out leakage detection and repair work for VOCs. The Autonomous Region Environmental Inspection Corps will conduct irregular spot checks on the implementation of the above tasks. Department of Environmental Protection, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, January 22, 2020. It is reported that on June 7, 2017, the Department of Environmental Protection of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region issued the notice titled “Notice on Designating Key Environmental Issues Related to the Coal-to-Natural Gas Project of Yili Xintian Coal Chemical Co., Ltd. for Supervision”, with document number Xin Huan Fa [2017] No. 113. This notice stated that, despite 14 environmental protection projects still not having been completed, the project started production on March 6, 2017, in violation of the regulations regarding the simultaneous implementation of environmental protection measures alongside construction activities. The Environmental Protection Department of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has decided to place Yili Xintian Coal Chemical Company under supervised oversight and ordered it to make corrections within a specified time frame. The original notice reads as follows: 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 on 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 regarding 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: First, regarding the key environmental issues under supervision: Your company’s coal-to-natural gas project with an annual production capacity of 2 billion cubic meters started operations on March 6, 2017, without complying with the regulations regarding the simultaneous implementation of construction, environmental protection measures, and operational activities. At that time, 14 environmental protection projects had not yet been completed, including waste gas thermal oxidation treatment facilities in the gas purification section, devices for crystallizing concentrated brine, temporary storage tanks for wastewater along with biological deodorization and photocatalytic oxidation systems for treating odorous gases 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 dealing with accidents at the freezing station, online monitoring systems for pollutants in the factory area (for wastewater and waste gas), groundwater monitoring systems (monitoring wells), online carbon dioxide monitoring systems in the Tiefangou community, and backup sulfur recovery systems for acidic gases. II. Requirements for Rectification: Your company is required to carry out the following rectification tasks: By June 15, 2017, formulate a \"Rectification Plan for 14 Uncompleted Environmental Protection Projects related to the 2 billion cubic meters per year coal-to-natural gas project of Yili Xintian Coal Chemical Co., Ltd.\" 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. In accordance with the requirements set out in the project’s environmental impact assessment approval, the installation and acceptance of online monitoring systems at the wastewater and exhaust gas discharge points were to be completed by June 15, 2017. Starting from June 15, 2017, the progress of the corrective actions must be reported to the Environmental Protection Bureau of Ili Prefecture by the 15th of each month. After conducting on-site inspections of these reports, the Environmental Protection Bureau of Ili Prefecture 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 company (from May 20, 2017, to May 19, 2018). Your company must carry out the necessary rectifications within this time limit; should the issues not be resolved by then, our department will pursue accountability against your company and the relevant responsible persons in accordance with relevant laws and regulations. The Environmental Protection Bureau of Ili Prefecture carried out strict and swift investigations into the company’s environmental violations in accordance with laws and regulations, and monitored the progress of those investigations. The Autonomous Region’s Environmental Inspection Corps conducted irregular inspections to assess the rectification and implementation of these serious environmental issues. Department of Environmental Protection, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region – Project Overview
Project Name: Yili Xintian Coal Chemical Co., Ltd. 2 billion cubic meters/year coal-to-natural gas project
Nature of the Project: New construction
Owner of the Project: Yili Xintian Coal Chemical Co., Ltd.
Location of Construction: Approximately 18 km northwest of Yining City, and 10 km northwest of Bayandai Town
Scope of Construction: The total area of the project’s factory complex is 200.4 ha. This project uses coal as raw material, and through processes such as coal preparation, gasification, shift cooling, low-temperature methanol washing, sulfur recovery, and methanation, it produces natural gas. The product is piped to the West-to-East Gas Transmission Project Phase II. The coal used for project production is sourced from Mine No. 4 in the Yibei area of the Yining mining region, with a total coal consumption of approximately 6.38 million tons. Project scope: 2 billion cubic meters per year of coal-to-natural gas production, 3×50 MW generator sets equipped with 4×480 t/h high-temperature and high-pressure coal-fired boilers; auxiliary off-site facilities include water transmission pipelines, coal transfer corridors, gas transmission pipelines (from the plant site to the Yining terminal of the West-East Gas Pipeline), ash and slag storage areas, and evaporation ponds. The environmental protection facilities included in the project’s composition are systems for treating wastewater, exhaust gas, and waste residues; these include sulfur recovery systems, gas-water separation units, ammonia recovery systems, phenol recovery systems, wastewater treatment plants, systems for treating saline wastewater, multi-effect evaporation and crystallization processes for concentrated brine, landfills for hazardous waste, evaporation ponds, ash disposal areas, as well as high-efficiency bag filters installed in the on-site thermal power plants, ammonia-based desulfurization devices, and low-nitrogen burners combined with SCR denitrification systems. Design division of responsibilities: China Tianchen Engineering Co., Ltd. serves as the main design institute, being responsible for purification and all plant utilities ； Saiding Engineering Co., Ltd. is responsible for the gasification and shift sections ； Donghua Engineering Technology Co., Ltd. is responsible for the water treatment portion ； Hualu Engineering Technology Co., Ltd. is responsible for the methanation section. Total investment: RMB 1,350,000 million.