Green development in Zhanjiang improves air and water quality

The seaside city of Zhanjiang posted excellent air and water quality results again in 2022 thanks to city authorities' strategy in sticking to green development.

Its air quality composite index ranked second among the 21 cities in Guangdong province in 2022. And the surface water quality of all the sections monitored by the State environment watchdog was rated either excellent or good, while all the centralized water sources at and above county level were up to standard.

Analysts attributed the outstanding environmental status quo to the city's efforts to promote low-carbon development by advocating green manufacturing and even the green life cycle of products in main sectors such as steel, paper making and petrochemicals, prioritizing clean energy, promoting energy conservation and carbon reduction in other major sectors.

Baosteel Zhanjiang Iron and Steel is a model of green production in the city. Zhu Weilin, manager of the company's hot rolling factory, said the environmentally friendly treatment of wastewater is key in steelmaking and Baosteel Zhanjiang became the nation's first iron and steel maker in 2020 capable of recycling all of its solid or hazardous waste.

Baosteel Zhanjiang Iron and Steel has built 23 water treatment systems and can treat all its wastewater, 98 percent of which can be reused internally.

In total, 1.89 billion yuan ($274.8 million) was invested in the shaft furnace project, which is expected to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide by more than 500,000 metric tons annually when put into use in late 2023.

Thirty-six companies passed the examination of clean production in Zhanjiang in 2022.Nine industrial parks were identified as pilots of cyclic transformation in 2022, of which the Zhanjiang Economic and Technological Development Zone was recognized as a national pilot and the other eight, pilots of Guangdong province.

Data from the Zhanjiang development and reform bureau showed the city had finished construction of four offshore wind power projects, with the total installed capacity of 1.2 million kilowatts.

Its current onshore wind electricity installed capacity is 1.4 million kW and that of its photovoltaic power is the same.

Construction of a nuclear power project in Lianjiang, a county-level city of Zhanjiang, is well under way, with capital of 3.79 billion yuan poured in 2022,223 percent of the size planned in early 2022.

Several natural gas projects are also under construction, such as the Wushi oilfield cluster and Hainan-Guangdong natural gas pipelines.

To promote energy conservation and carbon reduction in other major sectors, Zhanjiang formulated a technical reform plan and guided 15 industrial companies that consumed over 5,000 tons of coal equivalent annually to improve technology in 2022 in hopes of axing 254,900 tons of coal equivalent.

The city also propelled green construction and developed prefabricated buildings. Green buildings accounted for more than 90 percent of newly built civil buildings in 2022.

Addressing the launching ceremony of the program "Carbon Path of Zhanjiang" on Friday, Zheng Haoran, head of city's publicity department, said that Zhanjiang's strategy to balance ecology protection and economic development has led to a win-win outcome.

According to the official, the city was able to realize a surplus of 1.58 million tons of carbon emission quota in 2022 as compared to a gap of 780,000 tons in 2021, to the effect that the city was able to rake in 126 million yuan worth of economic value from carbon quota trading in 2022 as compared to expenditure of 27 million yuan on the quota in 2021.

"Carbon Path of Zhanjiang" is launched on Friday. LIU JICHENG/FOR CHINA DAILY