China Energy at Full Steam in Green Port Construction

China Energy Investment Corporation (China Energy) has been working at full tilt to support the green development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt in recent years.

The fuel wharf at China Energy's Shenwan Energy Ma'anshan Power Plant is one of the results of the company's efforts.

A bird's-eye view of Shenwan Energy Ma'anshan Power Plant [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

Facility upgrading for resource recycling

According to the head of the plant, the fixed reinforced concrete-structured wharf featured three berths in 1994, only available for 3,000-ton colliers.

Following improvements in installed capacity and increasing coal demand, the wharf underwent an upgrade in 2014. At present, it features six berths available for 7,500-ton colliers and is capable of handling as much as 18,000 tons of goods daily and a designed annual unloading capacity of 3.6 million tons.

In 2017, the power plant carried out a renovation of a runoff water collection system in the quay area, which included construction of waterproof banks and connecting the collection tank to five water collection tanks. The system will realize automatic operation of a submersible pump and discharge rainwater to a coal sink for treatment and reuse when the water levels in the tanks rise to their limit.

In 2020, the power plant renovated its dock runoff water collection and treatment facility in 2020, extending the waterproof bank line and regional runoff water collection area, as well as upgrading the function of five water collection tanks.

The renovated system allows precipitated rainwater to be used in water flushing and spraying in coal transmission systems to reduce dust, which ensures complete recycling of the water.

Technological innovation for dust suppression

To support the environmental protection of the Yangtze River, the power plant has made great efforts to prevent and control coal dust from the wharf.

Between 2018 and 2020, the power plant spent 2.25 million yuan ($349,200) to renovate six ship unloaders and spent another 180,000 yuan to install plates on the discharge belts of the unloaders in March 2021.

These renovations and installations greatly improved dust prevention.

Innovative methods to protect water quality

In the past two years, the power plant spent 30,000 yuan to build shore power devices for each berth that can provide 380-volt and 220-volt power supplies for colliers.

Forty thousand yuan were also spent to build domestic sewage treatment and oil receiving facilities for ships at the wharf, as well as a garbage sorting and recycling station. 

As of Aug 30 this year, the facilities had received 23 cubic meters of domestic sewage and provided about 14,000 kilowatt-hours of power, an equivalent to that generated by 2,996 kilograms of diesel consumption.

The devices and facilities helped lower fuel costs and contribute to green development.

Advanced management supports environmental protection

In order to promote environmental protection of the wharf, Ma'anshan Power Plant established a professional fuel management system to strictly control coal procurement, transshipment, berthing and unloading.

The plant's fuel management department initiated several standards for environmental protection of the wharf and regular inspection and cleaning of the coal delivery system. 

The plant also encouraged ship owners to register and hand over pollutants, domestic garbage and sewage and oil, use shore power in accordance with the rules, and record energy usage and the amount of ship garbage and domestic sewage received and disposed, all of which make wharf management easier.

Zhou Jipeng, director of the fuel management department, said the plant's coal yard is being renovated. Once completed, the wharf will be greener and cleaner.

(Executive editor: Niu Yilin)