The emission reduction of the thermal power industry of the five power generation groups is incumbent

At the 7th National Conference on Environmental Protection held recently, Huaneng, Datang, Huadian, Guodian, and China Power Investment Corporation signed the Responsibility Letter for the Total Reducing Targets of Major Pollutants in the “Twelfth Five-year Plan”. The Responsibility Statement for Reducing Emissions clearly defines the total pollutant control targets, major emission reduction tasks, and measures. According to the provisions of the Responsibility Statement for Reducing Emissions, the five major power generation groups will complete the denitrification facilities of 400 million kilowatts of thermal power units during the “12th Five-Year Plan” period. This shows that during the “12th Five-Year Plan” period, the thermal power industry must intensify its emission reduction efforts and promote the reduction of nitrogen oxides in the power industry.

The thermal power industry is a major emitter of nitrogen oxides. China's thermal power industry emits more than 40% of its total nitrogen oxide emissions. With the acceleration of economic development, population growth, and urbanization, China's nitrogen oxide emissions will continue to grow. Data shows that the total nitrogen oxide emissions in the first three quarters of 2011 increased by 7.2%, which is a big difference from the planned reduction of 1.5% in 2011. Therefore, under the severe emission reduction situation, the thermal power industry must take the responsibility of reducing emissions accordingly.

The five major power generation groups are large state-owned enterprises. Compared with small and medium-sized enterprises, large state-owned enterprises should be more proactive in taking actions to protect the environment and shoulder more social responsibilities. At present, the "Emission Standard of Air Pollutants for Thermal Power Plants" has been formally implemented, and more stringent requirements have been put on nitrogen oxide emissions. It is incumbent on the five major power generation groups to do a good job in the "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" nitrogen oxide emission reduction work. This is a reflection of the higher social responsibility.

Raise awareness of pollution reduction. Thermal power companies should further raise their awareness of pollution reduction, effectively assume the main responsibility for nitrogen oxide emission reduction, overcome difficulties in the current lack of operating funds for denitrification facilities under the current high price of coal and electricity, and the declining profits of thermal power companies, and get rid of various excuses. Negative attitude, the denitrification of thermal power as an important task, take the initiative to do a good job of pollution reduction.

Break the industry monopoly. As we all know, the power industry is a monopoly industry, due to the lack of competition, power companies eat "big pot" phenomenon, resulting in the state of mind that the pollution emission reduction and other state subsidies, some companies do not actively promote emission reductions on the grounds of loss. In this regard, measures should be taken to break the monopoly of the power industry. First, cancel the franchise of the central enterprises in the field of power generation, allow full competition, and establish an effective supervision system; second, the central government will no longer directly invest in the central enterprises in any name. Central and private enterprises should enjoy the same national treatment, and the profits of the central enterprises must not be returned. Third, the leaders of the central SOEs should be determined by shareholders and investors. In addition, non-state-owned capital is permitted to enter the core operating areas of the central SOEs and the “36-item” of the private economy entering the monopoly industries is truly implemented.

We will actively carry out research on denitrification technologies and develop nitrogen oxide reduction technologies that are suitable for our country. China has already had the control technology of flue gas denitrification in power plants, but the key technologies are still subject to foreign countries. Therefore, more support and preferential policies should be given for the research of nitrogen oxide control technology, and the application and industrialization of domestic nitrogen oxide control technology scale should be promoted as soon as possible.

Further increase penalties. The total amount of control as a pre-condition for the new project EIA approval, the total amount of the project, with a total capacity. Strengthen the law enforcement of power plants that have established denitrification facilities and regulate the emission of pollutants from thermal power plants; strictly supervise the operation of the “three simultaneous” denitrification facilities of thermal power units, and effectively increase the operation rate of denitrification units; and denitrification is not normally put into operation. The thermal power facilities of the facility have suspended the environmental approvals for the new projects of their respective power groups.