(VEN) – The Cua Ong Coal Sorting Company has become well known for its responsible approach to coal extraction following its implementation of cleaner production measures for a sustainable coal industry.
Cua Ong Coal Sorting Company
Being aware of the importance of environmental protection in coal production, the company has paid special attention to environmental protection operations and investment in cleaner production measures. In 2011 and 2012, the standing expenses for environmental protection amounted to VND8.984 billion. As the company’s production platform is located near Bai Tu Long Bay, it has paid special interest to treating wastewater and sludge sources to meet the allowed standards before discharging them into the environment. Since 2004, the company has continuously invested in and improved its sludge treatment system and by 2009, it put a sludge treatment plant into operation at a capacity of one million ton of peat per year with a total of 152 billion. The plant uses water separation technology by a high-pressure air compressor system. So far, it has been able to treat 60 percent of sludge after coal sorting. The remaining 40 percent is treated by natural sedimentation technology by using a system of cement or soil pools.
With this new plant, the treated water with sludge content reduced from 455 grams per liter down to 8-10 grams per liter and went back to the plant for coal sorting again. The sludge then would be used to make 6b coal dust and provided to thermal power plants. In December 2012, the company continued to build a second sludge treatment plant with a total investment of VND252 billion. The project was approved by Quang Ninh Province’s People’s Committee on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Quang Ninh province, helping to handle 100 percent of the sludge water after coal sorting process.
In 2008 and 2009, Cua Ong Coal Sorting Company built 2.5 km of coastal stone embankment against soil erosion, contributing to the environmental protection in Bai Tu Long Bay and increased the recovery rate of clean coal up to 87.75 percent, bringing both economic and environmental benefits.
The company also installed waste collection systems to treat wastewater and surface water discharged primarily from dining houses serving employees. The system features sedimentation dust-holes, and wastewater is treated with microbial methods before being discharged into the environment.
The sewage treatment system was built in terrace style, with embankments to collect sediment and suspending solid waste. Every month, the system is dredged, and the wastewater and surface water are thoroughly treated. Industrial solid wastes are also collected completely with a re-use rate of about 30 percent to make low-grade thermal coal products. The rest is collected and transported to fill up road surfaces at Vinacomin’s 10/10 Cam Pha Industrial Zone. In addition, to deal with dust and noise issues, the company has invested in, and completed coal loading and transporting systems using conveyor belts. The company also applied mist sprayer technology to stamp out dust and concretized internal roads.
The company also planted 15,188 trees, over 30,000 sq.m of grass and formed a business-park model through the combination of planting fruit trees with ornamental trees, using a mist sprayer system which could both shield dust, reduce humidity and create an attractive working environment.
The successful application the environmental management system according to ISO 14001:2010 Standards and other solutions helped Cua Ong Coal Sorting Company become one of the best environmental protection and cleaner production companies./.
By Bao Ngoc
Đăng ký: VietNam News
