Gaojing Thermal Power Plant in west Beijing defies the stereotype of an old coal-fired power plant. Its slim and tall chimneys spew no dark smoke. Several tall fir trees thrive right by the chimneys. Even inside the power generating workshops, one would not smell soot for the combustion is done in closed chambers.

“Some local residents noticed that our chimneys did not belch smelly black smoke and rumored that our plant was shut down,” said Shen Gang, President of the plant, “Our goal is to make our plant not look like a power plant.”

The plant, controlled by Datang International Power Generation Co. LTD (Datang Power), a public company listed in Hong Kong and London as early as in 1997, has a good understanding of the importance of environment protection to a company. Datang Group is one of the few dozens of large state-owned companies that have released corporate social responsibility reports. On June 20, 2008, the group just released its 2007 report, the second annual report published by the company.

A banner hanging inside a dustless administrative building exhibited the Gaojing Thermal Power Plant’s determination to conserve energy and cut emission. Since 2003, the plant has invested 1.7 billion yuan ($246 million) in retrofitting pollution control equipment. Cutting-edge de-sulfurization, de-nitrification and bag dust filter de-ashing equipment was acquired. The equipment can remove 96 percent of sulfur, 80 percent of nitrogen and 99.96 percent of ashes from the flue gas.

“By the end of 2007, all new equipment was installed and running. The sulfur dioxide concentration for the plant is cut down to 100 mg/m3, which is compatible to stringent international standard，and better than local standard in Beijing,” Shen said. In a spacious room filled with computers, several technicians monitored the operation of the equipment. 

Pressure to clean up

Built in 1959 with Russian technology, the plant once was China’s best-equipped thermal power and honored as the showcase of Beijing’s industrial construction. The plant has been a major electricity and heat supplier to western Beijing for nearly half a century. Top leaders of China and Beijing Municipality have visited the plant, recognizing its role in energizing and warming Beijing.

As Beijing sprawled out, more residents settled in the proximity of the power plant. Industrial growth and growing road traffic made the Beijing’s sky hazier and hazier. Beijing residents who once were grateful to their power and heat providers gradually became grumpy about these heavy polluters.

Coal-fired power plants are traditionally major source of sulfur dioxide pollution, nitrogen oxides and particle pollution. The pollution can cause health problems among humans and produce acid rain and smog. In addition, fossil fuel burning also emits carbon dioxide, which is a prime contributor to global warming.

After winning the bid for the Olympic Games, Beijing Municipal Government set out to prepare for a green Olympics, and found fossil fuel burning power plants obstacles to its green goal.

Beijing released more stringent air quality standard in March 2003. On June 7, 2004, Beijing Environment Protection Bureau published a list of 28 heavy polluters in Beijing, ordering them to clean up. Wang Dawei, Director of the Pollution Control Office of Beijing Environment Protection Bureau told Xinjing Daily that the five big thermal power plants on the blacklist emitted 60 percent of sulfur dioxide and 26 percent particulate matters from all industries in Beijing. Gaojing Thermal Power Plant was on the list. Wang pointed out, “The sulfur dioxide concentration for Gaojing Thermal Power Plant was 1886mg/m3，much higher than Being City’s standard of 500mg/ m3.”

Moreover, in the 11th Five-Year Plan, the government stressed its mission to construct energy-efficient and environment-friendly society, and put forth specific goals, such as cutting the energy consumption per unit of GDP by 20 percent, the discharge of major pollutants by 10 percent and water consumption per unit of industrial added value by 30 percent in five years since 2005. Thermal power plant in Beijing was under close public scrutiny.

In early 2007, the plant’s very survival was almost in jeopardy as the National Development and Reform Commission issued a circular demanding the close-down of conventional coal-fired generators under the capacity of 50,000 kilowatts and coal-fired generators under the capacity of 100,000 kilowatts with a service history of over 20 years, as well as other generators that do not meet the national emission standard. By the end of 2007, 553 generators in China were shut down.

All the generators in Gaojing Thermal Power Plant have capacity less than 100,000 kilowatts and a service history of more than forty years; they all should be shut down, if not for an exception listed in the circular.   

The circular granted exception to combined heat-and-power plant that is the sole or most efficient provider of heating within 10 kilometers of the plant. Yet, these plants still need be renovated to meet air quality standard, and evaluated by the government on a yearly basis. Gaojing Thermal Power Plant happened to meet the criteria，after the steel plant of Shougang Group in the same neighborhood was ordered to move out of Beijing, along with its powerful heating unit.

The plant had no intention to drag Beijing’s feet in going green. It surveyed relevant technologies in the market and purchased advanced equipment from the United States that can meet tighter air quality standard. The bag duster filter was installed in 2005, and the de-sulfurization tower was put into operation in the end of 2006, and by the end of 2007, the de-nitrification equipment was up and running. 

Taking social responsibility

In addition to cleaning up its chimneys, the plant has also stepped up building a recycling economy. A thermal plant needs a large amount of water to produce steam. In the past, the plant used water from Yongding River and Guanting Reservoir, a large reservoir that supplies drinking water to Beijing residents. As Beijing is a dry city, drinkable water is a precious resource.

One or two year ago, the plant introduced treated urban wastewater into the plant, and recycled 100 percent of water used for electricity generation. The plant also recycles other byproducts. The coal cinders are turned into building materials through chemical reactions, and the limestone used to treat the flue gas are also turned into something useful.

So far recycling and pollution control measures have generated some savings for the plant, nonetheless, the benefit for the company are still trivial compared with the investment，according to Shen. The government has allowed an increase of 0.15 yuan ($0.02) in the price of per kilowatt-hour of electricity to cover the de-sulfurization cost. Shen thought the investment worthy for its great social benefit. According to Shen, the company planned to upgrade its equipment further in the near future，and would like to build an image of responsible company that is in harmony with the society.

                                                          (By WANG HAIRONG)