China continues with coal gangue projects

China Coal Gangue Power Plants leverage low-calorific waste for thermal power, adding 20 GW to the grid, with 600 MW units in Shandong and Hunan, while managing emissions, PAHs risks, and water pollution.

Coal gangue, a byproduct of coal selection, is one of China's three main industrial solid wastes.

At least 200 million tons of coal gangue are discharged and stockpiled in China every year, and although gangue has a lower caloric value that coal itself, China will provide massive amounts of coal gangue to thermal power plants, supporting coal plant operations nationwide. Stockpiled coal gangue, usually dumped near coal mines, can have drastic negative effects on the surrounding environment, often releasing toxic organic substances such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons into nearby water sources or into the water table.

In 2007, China began the development of at least 50 coal gangue-fired power plants, as part of broader power sector reforms influencing generation policy, all of which will be completed this year. When completed, the projects will add at least 20 gigawatts of installed electricity to the national grid, with national coal capacity projected to reach 933 GW by 2015. China has additional coal gangue projects planned.

Yanzhou Coal Mining Company, is preparing to develop its own coal gangue-fired thermal power plant near the town of Zhaolou, which is about 400 kilometers south of Beijing in the Shandong province. Along with Shandong Electric Power Engineering Institute, YZC is planning to construct a coal comprehensive utilization plant capable of generating about 600 megawatts MW. The facility will process about 2,050 tons of coal per hour. YZC will invest about $440 million in the project, aligning with China's power investment targets that year, and plans to wrap up construction toward the end of 2012.

Following the same schedule is Datang Huayin Electric Power Company Limited's comprehensive utilization plant, planned for construction near Heping Village, in Hunan province. The company will be working alongside Hunan Electric Power Design Institute to design and construct a $350 million thermal power plant that will generate 600 MW to supply base-load power to the grid, as recent NDRC approvals have accelerated similar projects across China.

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