SO2 emissions down 9.1% in China's power sector

According to a recently published report by China's Ministry of Environmental Protection, sulfur-dioxide (SO2) emissions in the country's power sector dropped 9.1% in 2007, and SO2 emissions among the top five nationwide power producers dropped 13.2% year over year.

Other accomplishments in 2007 listed in the report:

• The commissioning of 120 million kilowatts of desulfurization devices for coal-fired units;

• The addition of 13 million metric tons per day of urban sewage-processing capacity;

• A 3.2% decrease in chemical oxygen demand (COD), or the amount of chemicals found in water, to 13.82 million metric tons;

• A 4.7% drop in overall SO2 emissions to 24.69 million metric tons.

SO2 emissions in Beijing and Shandong's COD dropped 13.8% and 5% year over year, respectively, ranking No. 1 in the country. However, the emission of major pollutants in Hainan, Qinghai, Xinjiang and Tibet increased.

The ministry also highlighted problems in operational desulfurization devices. China Resources Power Holding Company Limited (Hong Kong), Guizhou Jinyuan Company Limited (Guiyang) and Shanxi International Power Group Company Limited (Taiyuan) were punished after failing to commission the equipment last year at the Hubei Puqi Power Plant, the Jinsha Power Plant, the Xishui Power Plant of the Qinbei General Plant and the Liulin Power Plant. The ministry has temporarily suspended the approval of environmental impact assessments for the companies' thermal power projects until the desulfurization devices are commissioned.

In addition, seven power plants were fined five times the tariff charged for desulfurization facilities after failure to properly operate the equipment. The plants will be required to correct the problem within an unspecified period of time.