Petrochemical Enterprises Aim at Zero Emission of Waste Water   

The "Field Seminar on Water Conservation in Petroleum and Chemical Sectors" sponsored by China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Association in collaboration with associations of nitrogenous fertilizer industry, phosphate fertilizer industry, chlor-alkali industry and energy conservation was held in Ningbo, Zhejiang province during May 26th-27th. Faced with the urgent task of water conservation and emission reduction, the enterprises attending the seminar have reached a common understanding: The zero emission of waste water is the common goal for petroleum and chemical sectors to achieve sustainable development.
   Zhao Jungui, Deputy Director of China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Association, said at the meeting that petroleum and chemical enterprises should shoulder the responsibility and obligation of water conservation and emission reduction on their own initiative. Statistical data show that there were 9 176 major water-consuming enterprises in petroleum and chemical sectors in 2006 and the total water consumption was 68.69 billion tons, accounting for 21.1% of the total water consumption in major water-consuming enterprises in China. The emission of waste water in petroleum and chemical sectors also held a heavy proportion among various industrial departments. In petroleum and chemical sectors in 2006, the emission of waste water accounted for 16.3% of the total waste water emission in various industrial departments, holding the second place and the emission of CODs accounted for 11.7% of the total CODs emission in various industrial departments, holding the third place. These data fully show that while creating great wealth petroleum and chemical enterprises have also consumed great quantities of water resources. They have become one of the major factors for the shortage of water resources and the aggravation of environment in China.