Project Scope and Relationship to China's Agenda 21

This project seeks to improve the arrangement and structure of industry, and develop cleaner production practices in the pulp and paper industry. The project is based on programme areas 11A, 11C, and 11D of China's Agenda 21.

1. Background

The paper industry is a key component of the national economy in China. However, discharges from paper plants have become a major cause of water pollution throughout the country. Currently China's paper industry is trailing behind other sectors in economic development. Paper and paperboard output reached 18.10 million tons in 1993; per capita paper consumption however is far lower than the world average.

Due to the serious lack of wood, cereal straws are used as the raw material in more than 65 percent of China's paper mills. Most of the mills are small township enterprises. It is estimated that 5,360 small paper mills produce less than 10 thousand tons of paper per year.

The total output of straw pulp in China ranks first in the world. China has gained significant experience in straw pulp production, including pulp making, bleaching, paper making and alkali recovery. China's "Eighth Five Year Plan" and "Ten Year Development Programme" for the paper industry are designed to transform and restructure the entire industry, thus streamlining manpower and raw material consumption to achieve cleaner production.

Serious problems plague paper mills, including poor processes and technical equipment. As a result, the mills consume large amounts of energy and raw materials, low alkali recovery rate (only 30%), produce poor quality products and cause serious pollution. The pulp and paper industry is one of the major causes of environmental pollution in China. The annual discharge of toxic and hazardous wastewater is 5.3 billion m3, which accounts for 20 percent of China's total wastewater discharges. Organic pollutants released by paper mills account for over 30 percent of China's organic industrial wastewater pollutant discharge. Therefore pollution from these mills has seriously hindered the development of China's paper industry as well as the overall quality of life of the affected population.

This project, formulated by the China National Council of Light Industry (CNCLI), proposes to establish a demonstration central pulp mill with 30 thousand tons/year capacity in Taian City, Shandong Province. A Paper Industry Group has been organized in Taian City and funds have been collected to initiate the demonstration project. The preparation work including feasibility studies and preliminary design was completed over one year ago.

There are over 80 pulp and paper mills situated in Taian City in central Shandong Province. These mills discharge into the Dawen River which flows at the foot of Mt. Taishan. Wastewater discharges from the paper mills amount to 30 million m3 annually which flows into Dongping Lake, a major water source and a reservoir of the regional water transfer system. Pollution of the lake will negatively impact tourism, cause extinction of biological species and threaten the health and livelihood of over 25,000 people in seven towns.

2. Objectives

• Long-term objectives
  • To revitalize China's paper industry to a new standard through reorganization, technical transformation and capability development in production process and management systems, and to disseminate clean production process developed in the demonstration project throughout China's paper and pulp industry.

• Immediate objectives
  • Establish a cleaner production research center and expert group to investigate policies, regulations, management techniques and technologies for the paper and pulp industry.

  • Establish a demonstration project: a central pulp mill with 30,000 tons/year capacity in Taian City.

  • Introduce technologies which will have an annual alkali recovery of 10,000 tons and an increased output of US$ 30 million.

  • Regulate wastewater discharge quality to meet national discharge standards at completion of the demonstration project.

3. Activities

• 3.1 Organize a clean production research center and expert group consisting of administrators and technical experts under the leadership of CNCLI.
  • Formulate ongoing clean production programs for the pulp and paper industry.

  • Formulate industrial policies, laws and regulations for pollution control of light industries.

  • Develop a national information and technology dissemination program.

  • Encourage international exchange and cooperation to develop clean production technology and technique capabilities on development.

    Project duration is three years.

• 3.2 Establish a 30,000 tons/year demonstration project for centralized pulping in Taian City
  • Introduce advanced technology and equipment for pulp manufacture and alkali recovery from straw pulp black liquor.

  • Adopt best available techniques and technologies compatible with advanced Chinese equipment for the demonstration project through international exchanges, investments and capability building.

  • Import key technology and equipment including wet stock preparation machine, disc presser, continuous horizontal tube digester, vacuum washer and replaceable presser, non-chlorine bleaching apparatus, four driver multi-cylinder paper machine, super finishing machine, double winder recovery unit for black liquor, multi-effect evaporator and automatic control systems.

  • Training of administrative personnel and key technicians for clean production demonstration project.

    The duration of this activity will be five years.

    This project will be implemented by China National Council of light Industry.

The estimated financial input for this project is US $6.4 million, of which one-half of the total is sought from international financing. Table 1 presents funding details.

• 4.1 International Inputs
  • Academic and technical exchanges and business negotiation.
  • Inviting foreign specialists for planning and consultation.
  • Importing key advanced equipment.
  • Training abroad.
  • Demonstration project seeds money.

• 4.2 Domestic Inputs
  • Procedures for application submission and approval of the project
  • Inviting domestic experts
  • Complete civil facilities engineering
  • Data gathering
  • Training and capability development
  • Demonstration project seeds money
  • Environmental impact assessments

5. Benefits

Following project implementation, the results and findings of the demonstration project will be disseminated for adoption nationwide. The anticipated result is cleaner production through waste reduction, recycling and reuse, and more efficient utilization of process inputs. The alkali recovery rate in the paper industry will rise from 30 percent to 75 percent, resulting in a discharge reduction of 600,000 tons annually. This will reduce organic effluent concentrations by 70 percent.