Two-way efforts of government and enterprises to promote green development of petrochemical industry

Interpretation of Guiding Opinions on Promoting Green Development of Petrochemical Industry

Wang Xiaofeng, China Inorganic Salt Industry Association

(Chairman, Professor-level Senior Engineer)

　　In order to steadily promote the green development of the petrochemical industry, rationally plan the industrial layout, improve the industrial structure, enhance the innovation ability of the industry and continuously improve the green standards, the State Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) recently issued the Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Green Development of the Petrochemical Industry (hereinafter referred to as the Guiding Opinions). The formulation and promulgation of the Guiding Opinions will play a very positive role in promoting the transformation of the development mode of petrochemical industry and achieving green and sustainable development.

In recent years, with the sustained and rapid growth of the domestic economy, China's petrochemical industry has also experienced sustained and rapid growth, the scale of the industry has increased significantly, but due to the long-term extensive growth model, resources and environment have also paid a greater price. Some enterprises are not aware of environmental protection, lack of environmental protection measures, coupled with the backward technology and equipment in some industries, which causes environmental pollution incidents from time to time, and has a greater negative impact on the society. The phenomenon of "discussing color change" is very prominent in some areas. The construction of petrochemical projects has a strong sense of conflict, which will give the future of petrochemical industry. Development brings great pressure. With the general enhancement of social ecological environment awareness, it is urgent to accelerate the transformation of development mode and achieve green development. The publication of the Guiding Opinions provides guidance and direction for the green development of petrochemical industry.

Throughout the course of green development in western developed countries, green development is a long-term and difficult task, involving a large amount of investment and strict market supervision. In order to achieve green development of petrochemical industry, enterprises and governments need to work together.

1. Enterprises should strengthen technological progress and realize green production

Enterprises are the main body of the market, and the green development of petrochemical industry should be realized first. In the past, we often attached great importance to the end of the pollution control, through environmental protection devices and technologies to reduce waste emissions. In recent years, the idea of green development has changed, gradually from end-to-end treatment to source emission reduction. The cleanliness and greenness of production technology and production process have been raised to a more important position. Through continuous technological progress and environmental investment, enterprises can achieve "three wastes" less or no row. The Guiding Opinions clearly pointed out that the upgrading and transformation of the industry should be accelerated. To implement cleaner production transformation, from basic design to production and operation stage, the whole process promotes continuous upgrading and progress of technology, technology and equipment, strengthens lean management of enterprises, reduces the generation of three wastes from the source, and realizes the transformation from end treatment to source emission reduction.

The industry should increase the research and development of green production technology, technology and equipment, so as to minimize the "three wastes" generated in the production process and realize the "essence" of green and environmental protection. Advanced technologies such as glycerol epoxy chloropropane, direct oxidation epoxy propane and chromium ferric alkali oxidation to chromium salts were used to transform traditional processes and reduce waste generation. Advanced energy-saving and water-saving technologies, such as advanced coal gasification technology, closed calcium carbide furnace and reclaimed water reuse, are adopted to carry out energy-saving and water-saving transformation, improve energy efficiency level of the industry and reduce waste water discharge. The comprehensive utilization technologies of waste gas, carbon dioxide and solid waste, such as yellow phosphorus tail gas recovery, carbon dioxide oil displacement, phosphogypsum building materials, are adopted to reduce emissions of waste gas, carbon dioxide and solid waste.

Second, the government should strengthen supervision to create a fair environment for green development

Green development means that enterprises must increase investment in environmental protection in order to achieve emission targets. Increased investment will increase costs, reduce profits and weaken market competitiveness. Green development is more reflected in social benefits than economic benefits. However, for enterprises, profit is the first choice, and profit maximization is the primary objective of operation. When economic and social benefits are contradictory, enterprises may give priority to economic benefits at the expense of social benefits, which will lead to illegal emissions. Therefore, an institution is needed to strengthen supervision and punish violating emission regulations severely.

The Guiding Opinions put forward that green development should be achieved by forcing enterprises to take the initiative to transform and upgrade through green development policies and market environment. In order to promote the green development of petrochemical industry, the government should give full play to the role of guide and supervisor, let market participants abide by relevant industrial policies and standards, operate legally and comply with regulations, and impose severe sanctions on violations of laws and regulations. From the experience of foreign countries, the green development of enterprises is also forced to form in a severe external environment.

The government should strengthen supervision and supervision on environmental protection and energy conservation, and promote enterprises to strictly comply with relevant standards. Enterprises that fail to meet the standards of environmental protection and energy consumption should be strictly punished in accordance with the law. In order to create a fair competitive market environment and make enterprises compete fairly under the same environmental protection requirements, we must not easily sympathize with and relax enterprises that fail to meet the environmental protection standards. Otherwise, it will lead to "bad money expelling good money", and enterprises that do well in environmental protection will find it difficult to survive.