Zhang Zhongzheng, a member of the National People's Congress and chairman of Shandong Binhua Group, has spent his entire career in the chemical industry for 40 years. During this time, he has witnessed the transformation of a small chlor-alkali plant into a large integrated chemical enterprise that covers petrochemicals, fine chemicals, chlor-alkali, thermoelectricity, and port storage. Over the years, he has accumulated extensive experience in energy and chemical enterprises.
According to Zhang, today’s chemical companies must rely on new technologies, advanced equipment, and the development of a circular economy to reduce energy consumption, resource use, and pollution. He emphasized that companies should take the lead in energy conservation and emission reduction, especially in the chemical sector. In the early days of reform and opening up, many companies focused only on maximizing profits and fulfilling tax obligations, without fully recognizing their social responsibility in energy saving and emissions control.
As society progresses, the goals for companies have evolved. Now, maximizing the efficiency of energy and resource utilization, and achieving harmony with the environment, are key priorities. Economic growth can no longer come at the cost of excessive resource depletion or environmental damage. Additionally, rising energy prices and stricter government regulations on pollution discharge have made it essential for companies to reduce energy and resource consumption as a way to cut costs.
Moreover, many chemical plants that were originally located in suburban areas are now within urban zones due to city expansion, leading to increased pressure on them to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions.
To achieve higher resource efficiency while minimizing pollution, Zhang advocates for full recycling of resources, raw materials, and waste within the company, maximizing the "netting of food" — a metaphor for making the most of every available resource.
He believes that a circular economy involves optimizing the selection of upstream and downstream products so that waste from one process becomes raw material for another, enabling comprehensive clean production and resource reuse. For example, in a chlor-alkali company, hydrogen chloride is often sold as hydrochloric acid as a by-product. However, if it is refined and used as a raw material for a vinyl chloride plant, it can save chlorine and bring significant economic and environmental benefits. Similarly, waste sludge from vinyl chloride production is a major issue, but through innovation, Binhua Group has successfully integrated it into the saponification process of a propylene oxide plant, replacing lime and reducing its usage significantly. The recovered residue is then processed into bricks, turning waste into value and achieving zero solid waste emissions.
In addition, wastewater recycling, gas recovery, and cogeneration are all vital strategies for chemical companies to build a sustainable circular economy.
Updating technical equipment is fundamental to achieving energy savings and promoting a recycling economy. Zhang stresses that companies should continuously focus on environmental protection by recycling by-products and waste from each device, improving existing technology, and eliminating outdated equipment. For instance, 44% of China's caustic soda production still uses diaphragm technology, which has much higher energy consumption than ion-exchange membrane technology. Replacing these would significantly reduce overall energy use in the chlor-alkali industry.
Furthermore, improving workforce quality is crucial. Even the best equipment won't perform well without skilled personnel. An advanced management system and strict regulations are also essential to ensure that the concept of “circular economy†is fully realized within enterprises.
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