Environment

Measures to make effective use of waste from thermal power plants

Measures sought to make effective use of waste from thermal power plants

Making effective use of waste from thermal power plants to save natural resources and protect the environment is urgent given Vietnam’s increasing demand for electricity.
Measures sought to make effective use of waste from thermal power plants ảnh 1Ash can be recycled in cement projects, helping consume between 6 and 8 million tonnes of ash per year (Illustrative image. Source VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Making effective useof waste from thermal power plants to save natural resources and protect theenvironment is urgent given Vietnam’s increasing demand for electricity.

According to the Department of Waste Managementand Environment Improvement under the Vietnam Environment Administration (VEA),the country has 26 thermal power plants in operation with total capacity of13,810 MW, which consume roughly 47.8 million tonnes of coal each year anddischarge more than 16.4 million tonnes of ash and gypsum per annum.

By 2020, another 15 coal-fired thermal powerprojects will be put into operation with installed capacity of nearly 24,370MW, consuming close to 60 million tonnes of coal per year.

Many factories have been discharging ash andcinder at dumping sites, causing a high risk of environmental pollution.

Director of the Department of Waste Managementand Environment Improvement Nguyen Thuong Hien said some establishments arestudying building ash sorting and processing plants to produce standardized cementand other building materials.

On September 23, 2014, then Prime MinisterNguyen Tan Dung issued Decision No.1696/QD-TTg on measures to treat ash, cinderand gypsum from thermal power, chemical and fertiliser plants for theproduction of building materials.

Later on April 12, 2017, PM Nguyen Xuan Phucissued Decision No.452/QD-TTg approving a scheme on the processing and use ofash, cinder and gypsum discharged from thermal power, chemical and fertiliserplants.

Experts from the VEA suggested the Ministry ofConstruction promulgate legal documents, technical standards and guidance andeconomic norms for the treatment and use of ash and cinder so they could beused in the production of construction materials.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade needs to draftout plans and roadmaps to close ineffective thermal power plants using out-of-datetechnologies and causing huge emissions of pollutants. 

According to the Ministry of Construction, ashand cinder have high potential for usage in construction if they meet criteriafor treatment. Ash can be recycled in cement projects, helping consume between6 and 8 million tonnes of ash per year.-VNA
VNA
#effective use of waste #thermal power plants #save natural resources #protect the environment #electricity #Department of Waste Management and Environment Improvement under the Vietnam Environment Administration #coal-fired thermal power projects #environmental pollution
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