Following the implementation of the strictest assessment method in history, the "Implementation Assessment Method (Trial) for the Action Plan for Air Pollution Prevention and Control," national standards for air pollution prevention and control are being developed and released at a rapid pace.
The Environmental Protection Department and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine jointly issued the "Emission Limits and Measurement Methods for Diesel Exhaust Pollutants from Non-Road Mobile Machinery (China's Third and Fourth Stages)" (GB20891—2014), which was released and implemented on May 16. Additionally, the "Emission Standards for Air Pollutants from Boilers" (GB13271—2014), the "Pollution Control Standards for Incineration of Municipal Solid Waste" (GB18485—2014), and the "Emission Standards for Industrial Pollutants from Tin, Antimony, and Mercury Industries" (GB30770—2014) will come into effect from July 1st of this year.
The relevant official from the Ministry of Environmental Protection recently revealed to the media that, as of now, 20 out of the 25 emission standards required by the "Action Plan for Air Pollution Prevention and Control" (also known as "Ten Measures for Air Improvement") have been completed, with the remaining 5 standards striving to be finalized within the year.
The official stated that the newly released 4 national standards will significantly reduce particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) pollution.
Boiler emissions limits can reduce particulate matter by 660,000 tons.
Coal smoke pollution is considered one of the major causes of air pollution. An official from the Ministry of Environmental Protection stated that in recent years, China's coal consumption has been on the rise, with a high proportion of smaller capacity boilers. He revealed that there are 276,000 boilers with a capacity of less than 10 tons (60MW) in use across the country, accounting for 70% of the total number of coal-fired boilers, and consuming 170 million tons of coal. Additionally, these small-scale boilers are concentrated in densely populated areas, significantly impacting local air quality.
The newly implemented "Boiler Atmospheric Emission Standard" (GB13271—2014), effective July 1st, addresses the retrofitting issue for small boilers, which account for 70% of the total.
The official stated that following the implementation of the "Emission Standards for Air Pollutants from Boilers" (GB13271-2014), coal-fired boilers with a capacity of less than 10t/h must undergo retrofitting with oil and gas boilers, centralized heating, grid connection, replacement with coal and biomass pellet boilers, and other measures.
The official stated that the new standards also increase emission limits for nitrogen oxides and mercury and its compounds from coal-fired boilers, and establish special emission limits for air pollutants. Additionally, it stipulates that if the environmental impact assessment documents are more stringent than this standard or local standards, they shall be implemented according to the approved environmental impact assessment documents.
According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the implementation of the "Emission Standard of Air Pollutants from Boilers" (GB13271—2014) can reduce particulate matter (including PM2.5) by 660,000 tons and sulfur dioxide by 3.14 million tons.
Dioxin emissions can be reduced by 90%.
Waste incineration has long been criticized, one significant reason being the potential for excessive emissions of carcinogenic dioxins during the incineration process.
According to the official from the Ministry of Environmental Protection, with the increasing scarcity of urban land and the advancement of economic development in our country, waste incineration is set to become the primary method for handling municipal solid waste. At the same time, the rate of waste incineration in our country has been on the rise in recent years, with existing incineration facilities predominantly located in densely populated and economically developed regions such as Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Guangdong.
He stated that the current standards indeed have some issues, such as overly lenient pollution control requirements for dioxins and similar pollutants, which do not align with the existing technological level and environmental protection objectives. The current standards employ supervisory monitoring methods, making it difficult to conduct real-time tracking of the operation conditions of incinerators and flue gas emissions. This results in delayed emergency measures when the incineration conditions are unstable or flue gas emissions exceed the permitted levels, leading to serious overstandard of instantaneous flue gas emission indicators.
The official introduced that the newly released standards prioritize the protection of public health, strictly controlling the emissions of toxic and harmful substances, and adopting internationally stringent control limits for dioxins.
"The new standards specify clear requirements for the location of waste incineration plants, emphasizing that the site should be determined based on the conclusions of environmental impact assessments. The distance from the plant to surrounding populations should also be considered. The approved location, subject to approval by the relevant environmental protection administrative authority, can serve as a basis for planning control. This official stated that during the environmental impact assessment of waste incineration plant locations, factors such as potential leaks of harmful substances from various facilities within the waste plant, the generation and spread of air pollutants (including malodorous substances), and possible accident risks should be taken into account. The assessment should consider the impact on the surrounding environment, the health of residents, and daily life and production activities, based on the type of environmental functional area in the region, to determine a reasonable spatial relationship between the waste incineration plant and residential areas of permanent residents, agricultural land, surface water bodies, and other sensitive objects."
The official believes that the new standards' limit values are generally 30% stricter than the current ones, which can significantly reduce pollutant emissions. Specifically, nitrogen oxides from household waste incineration can be reduced by 25%, sulfur dioxide by 62%, and dioxins by 90%.
Lead, antimony, and mercury discharge limits are close to international standards.
Tin, antimony, and mercury industries fall under the "high energy consumption, high pollution, and resource-intensive" non-ferrous metallurgy sector. Not only do they emit conventional environmental pollutants, but they also release toxic and harmful substances such as heavy metals, posing risks to human health and environmental safety.
The official stated that the "Comprehensive Prevention and Control Plan for Heavy Metal Pollution" has clearly listed this industry as one of the sectors in China that are controlled for heavy metal emissions. In 2013, China signed the "Minamata Convention on Mercury," committing to work together with the international community to reduce the production, use, and emissions of mercury.
He introduced that the newly formulated "Industrial Emission Standards for Tin, Antimony, and Mercury Pollutants" stipulates that the pollutant emission limits for new enterprises are close to the standards required by developed countries. After existing enterprises implement and meet the new standards' limits for new enterprises, the annual emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), chemical oxygen demand (CODCr), and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) will be reduced by 41%, 47%, and 57% respectively, and the reduction rates of various heavy metals in the waste gas will all be above 65%.
Diesel engine nitrogen oxide emissions can be reduced by up to 45%.
"Regulations and Measurement Methods for Exhaust Emission Limits of Diesel Engines Used in Non-Road Mobile Machinery (China's Third and Fourth Stages)" are designed to address the pollution issues from various mobile equipment powered by internal combustion engines, such as construction machinery, agricultural machinery, and power generation sets, which are non-movable sources.
The official stated that currently, China sees approximately 2 million new non-road diesel engines added annually. Roughly 20% of the country's total annual diesel consumption, exceeding 100 million tons, is used for various non-road mobile machinery. These non-road mobile machines are a significant source of nitrogen oxide emissions, with an estimated annual discharge of over 2 million tons.
He believes that non-road engine emissions control technology is relatively lagging, and it has greater potential for reduction compared to vehicles with stricter emissions control standards.
Compared to the national second standard, "Emission Limits and Measurement Methods for Exhaust Pollutants from Diesel Engines Used in Non-Road Mobile Machinery (China's Third and Fourth Stages)" has increased the emission limits for pollutants and further refined the testing methods, said the official. After the implementation of the new standards, the emission levels of exhaust pollutants from diesel engines used in non-road mobile machinery have been further reduced, with the nitrogen oxide reduction rate of individual units in Stage 3 ranging from 30% to 45%, and the particulate matter reduction rate in Stage 4 reaching 50% to 94%.
As of now, this new national standard has already been implemented. "Starting from October 1, 2014, all diesel engines used in non-road mobile machinery that undergo emissions type approval must comply with the third-stage requirements of this standard. For diesel engines used in non-road mobile machinery that have been approved under this standard, production consistency checks will be enforced from the date of approval," the official stated. On a national scale, the timing for the supply of diesel meeting the fourth-stage standard is yet to be determined, so the standard cannot specify a national implementation date for the fourth stage. It encourages regions with the conditions to implement it early.
