[Haichuan Chemical Salary News] Another large-scale project in Ningdong – “Shensha” – has been approved for implementation in Ningxia following environmental impact assessment
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Source: People’s Daily. As spring unfolds, the \"Shensha Project\", which has been in preparation for two years, finally broke ground on a plot of land within the Shenhua Ningxia Coal Chemical Industry Park located in Yinchuan, Ningxia. “\"Shensha\" is a demonstration project for new coal-to-olefins materials with an annual production capacity of 700,000 tons, jointly developed by **Energy Group Ningxia Coal Industry Group Co., Ltd. and Saudi Basic Industries Corporation. Through repeated coordination and discussions by the Ningxia Department of Ecology and Environment, the environmental impact assessment approval for this project was finally granted. “This means that the biggest challenge of the ‘Shensha Project’ has been successfully resolved. ”Yu Xin, deputy director of the Environmental Impact Assessment and Emission Management Division at the Ningxia Department of Ecology and Environment, said.
The Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region possesses abundant coal resources, with reserves amounting to over 40 billion tons; the Ningdong area alone has reserves of 33.1 billion tons. The “Shensha Project”, designated by the State Council as a key demonstration project under the 13th Five-Year Plan for the development of the western region, uses coal resources from Ningdong as raw material to produce polyolefin products through processes such as pressurized gasification of coal, purification, and synthesis. “It offers good economic benefits and makes use of advanced technology, playing a significant role in promoting high-speed and high-quality development in the autonomous region. ”Sun Huashan, deputy director of the Coal-Based New Materials Department at Guoneng Ningmei, said that the project is planned to require an investment of 22 billion yuan; upon completion, it is expected to generate sales revenue of 6.8 billion yuan, profits of 2 billion yuan, and additional tax revenues of 450 million yuan.
Although the project was promising, it encountered difficulties right from the start. In May 2018, the Ningxia Department of Ecology and Environment reported on the \"Shensha Project\" to the Environmental Impact Assessment Division of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. That division argued that Ningdong’s environmental capacity was limited, leaving little room for improvement; therefore, it would be difficult to achieve the goals set for improving environmental quality through the construction of this project. Since it was not possible to ensure a fundamental improvement in the regional environmental quality, the project’s environmental impact assessment could not be approved. “\"Environmental impact assessment is the first and also the most challenging hurdle in the implementation of a project,\" said Sun Huashan. To pass the environmental impact assessment successfully, with the coordination of the Ningxia Department of Ecology and Environment, Guoneng Ningmei carried out upgrades to 14 boilers to enable ultra-low emission levels, and shut down 67 smaller boilers at its various mines.
The Ningxia Department of Ecology and Environment also established a special task force to provide follow-up support for the \"Shensha Project.\" In collaboration with relevant departments, it worked to address key issues such as finding alternatives to coal consumption and reducing pollutant emissions. A systematic assessment was carried out regarding the elimination of outdated production capacities in the Yinchuan urban area, the rectification of \"disordered, scattered, and polluting\" enterprises, as well as the shutdown of coal-fired boilers and the transition from coal to gas or electricity. As a result, 4.63 million tons of coal consumption were reduced. By working diligently and making use of every available moment, difficulties were overcome over the past two years, and the environmental impact assessment was successfully completed, laying a solid foundation for the implementation of the project. “Ningxia experiences high levels of coal resource exploitation and transformation, which puts significant pressure on improving the regional quality of the environment. The advancement of the environmental impact assessment for the ‘Shensha Project’ has forced Ningxia to phase out outdated production capacities, resolving the environmental challenges associated with this project and creating favorable conditions for subsequent development efforts. ”Sun Huashan said that the project is of great significance for enhancing the added value of coal in Ningxia through local conversion, developing large-scale \"green\" coal-fired power as a clean energy source, as well as \"green\" coal chemical industries, comprehensive deep processing of coal, and fine chemical industries downstream from coal chemistry – all of which help to increase the added value of resources and end products, thereby paving the way for high-quality development.
At first glance, it seems as though Shenhua Ningmei and South Africa’s SASOL have revived their old relationship and finally become a couple. It seems that Shenning really likes to do business with the Lao Sha family.