Entrepreneur turns waste into business

Environmental problems are causing increasing concerns in China. But an entrepreneur in Maoming, Guangdong province, is dedicated to improving the situation by developing a technology that turns solid wastes into clean energy while purifying pollutants in power plants.

"Waste such and plastics and rubbers are all usable resources that can be turned into clean energy," said Chen Hui, a distinguished professor at Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology.

According to an annual report by China Association of Environmental Protection Industry, In 2014, 1.92 billion tons of general industrial solid wastes was produced by large and medium-sized Chinese cities, 24.4 million tons of dangerous industrial wastes were made, while the amount of medical wastes and household garbage reached 622,000 tons and 168 million tons respectively.

"If we make full use of that waste, environmental pollution could improve," Chen said.

In a separate entrepreneurial project, Chen managed to reduce PM2.5 particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns, significantly by purifying pollutants emitted by power plants.

In December 2013, the technology was applied in a Maoming thermal power company under Guangdong Yudean Group Co Ltd. In two years, roughly 12,395 tons of sulfur dioxide and 2,638 tons of nitric oxide were reduced, bringing 112 million yuan worth of profits to the company.

"If 50 percent of the country's coal-fired facilities use the technology, emissions of the pollutants would be reduced significantly while creating about 35 billion yuan worth of profits," Chen said.

Huang Zhanggen, a researcher at Chinese Academy of Sciences, said there is room for improvement in the purification technology.

At the 14th China International Environmental Protection Exhibition & Conference in June, Huang said, "at the present time, the process of desulfurization is not fully established. Further integration of the process needs to be made."