A conservation and valuable utilization of resources is the best practice guideline to minimize wastes from operations. It can also reduce the waste disposal costs arisen as well. For the thermal power business, aside from non-hazardous and hazardous wastes generated, there are also by-products created from fuel combustions and air quality treatment processes, including ashes and gypsums. Both ashes and gypsums can be utilized and added values by selling them as mixtures of construction materials. Additionally, the spillage or improper disposal of hazardous wastes possibly has an impact on the environment and surrounding communities.
BPP has managed its wastes under the environmental policy, using the 3Rs principles, including Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. The aim is to achieve a target of zero hazardous waste to landfill and operating in accordance with best the practice standards and legal compliance of each country.
As a result, wastes from the CHP plants have been classified into three types: hazardous wastes. non-hazardous wastes, ashes and gypsums. The waste management guidelines can be summarized as follows:
The multisource solid waste compound fuels of Zouping CHP Plant is one of the innovative thinking processes to reduce the power plant’s production costs. Zouping CHP Plant studied on how to utilize the solid wastes left over from production processes or from industrial plants with maximum benefits. This initiative was done by surveying industrial wastes in the vicinity where wastes still have calorific values and can be used for boiler’s combustions. The survey found that wastes such as used activated carbons, fly ashes and sludges from the wastewater treatment plants, etc., still have calorific values, and can be used for further combustions.
Zouping CHP Plant conducted a study and carried out a test by using activated carbons with a heat value of about 2,300 kcal/kg from the customer’s sugar factory to mix with coal until the blending ratio does not affect its production capacity, while the air quality released from stacks does not exceed the standard ratio of 10-20%. The experiment found that approximately 2,000-4,000 tonnes of activated carbons can subsidize 600-1,260 tonnes of coal. This initiative project can help reduce the operating costs by CNY 6.4 million per year and decrease dependency on coal consumption in a sustainable way. Moreover, it is another way to help lessen the waste problems from customer’s industries, though, the waste-blending has resulted in a slight decrease of boiler efficiency by about 0.66%.
