Constant concern about waste pollution from coal-fired power

Coal-fired power is the largest source of waste emissions into the environment. Photo: Internet.

15.7 million tons of ash and slag/year without treatment

At the seminar "Coal-fired power technology and environment" on 5th November 2016, Mr. Truong Duy Nghia, Chairman of the Vietnam Thermal Science and Technology Association said, in Vietnam, coal-fired power started to grow after the year 2000, when Pha Lai 2 came into operation.

The reason is the advantages of low cost producing coal-fired power (about 7 cents/kWh); Investment capital is not too high, lower than hydropower, solar power, wind power, nuclear power (about 1,500 USD/kWh); Ability to mobilize large capacity should emit large power output; Do not depend on the location as hydropower, construction time is not too long (about 3 years).

However, the disadvantages of coal-fired power is large volume of fuel used to produce electricity (60% of the electricity production cost). Coal-fired power is the largest source of waste emissions into environment, especially solid waste, gas waste and water waste, takes more area as the location to build the ash and slag store.

A report of the Ministry of Industry and Trade showed that, the country currently has 20 operating coal-fired power plants that are eliminating ash, slag and gypsum.

Decision No. 1696/QĐ-TTg implemented a number of measures for the handling of ash, slag, and gypsum from coal-fired power plants, chemical fertilizer plants and plants used for producing construction materials.

But the biggest problem is that many cement and brick production enterprises are not eligible to receive ash, and slag under the provisions of Decree No. 38/2015/NĐ-CP dated 24th April, 2015 and the lack of technical regulation standards for ash, slag as construction material, backfill material.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, Head of Health Safety and Environment Division of the Vung Ang Thermal Power Plant, said the Government and the Ministry of Construction issued the decisions and policies to encourage businesses to use ash, slag as raw materials input for cement and roller compacted concrete production factories. According to decision No. 1696, the Plant has joined hands with a number of businesses including the Song Gianh Cement, Hoang Mai Cement to use ash, slag as raw materials for cement production inputs, but after some time has stopped. The reason is that when they start building the cement plants, many of them did not specify the use of ash, slag as input material for production, so the permission will be very time consuming.

"Recently, the Vung Ang Thermal Power have suspended supply of ash and slag, the factory is at risk of closing. Therefore, ministries and agencies should urgently review and remove difficulties for factories who need to use ash, slag as construction material”, Mr. Thanh said.

Not difficult to resolve

Mr. Hoang Quoc Vuong, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry admitted, the development of coal-fired power is causing environmental problems caused by waste (solid, water, gas) from these plants. However, the Deputy Minister said that this problem could be solved and the costs to settle the amount of waste is also not too large.

But the development of coal-fired power plants is still an important and optimal solution in the current situation. Because, coal-fired power has a lower cost than other power sources (hydro, thermal gas, thermal oil, electricity from renewable energy etc.) and material sources for these plants are also ample that help Vietnam to reduce production costs.

"We determined that the development of coal-fired power is inevitable. The Ministry of Industry and Trade is coordinating with other ministries, agencies to develop a legal framework for technology and environment for the coal-fired power plants to increase productivity and minimize environmental impact. To do this, we need to change the social habits such as using adobe bricks that are made from ash, slag instead of using baked bricks or using ash, slag for leveling etc. With these measures, we will handle environmental issues but still ensure national energy security”, the Deputy Minister said.

According to Mr. Nghia, with the huge volume of discharged ash, slag from coal-fired power plants, the advantage of this waste as construction material is the thorough and only measure.

"Vietnam is not the only country faced with the disposal of waste from coal-fired power plants. In China, in 2003, the Government banned the production of baked bricks and each year consumes 600 billion unbaked bricks made from ash, slag. In Japan, 100% ash, slag of coal-fired power plant is used up. Korea is the same”.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Hien, former Director of the Institute of Energy of Vietnam said that ash, slag in the thermal power plants is at risk of environmental pollution, affect people's lives around the power plant area and could affect agricultural production. According to him, experience of countries in the world to control waste from coal-fired power plants is to apply super limited technology, on the one hand this technology will help to reduce the production consumption for thermal power plants while reducing emissions to the outside, such as CO2, SOX, NOX etc. this is the acid rain-causing agents.

"If the coal-fired power plants in the country can tightly control the technology from early construction, the development of thermal power plants can meet the energy demands as long as there is environmental protection”, said Mr. Hien.