MEP Promulgated Cleaner Production Standard for Four Chemicals     

On August 18th, 2009 the Ministry of Environmental Protection of China (MEP) promulgated for the first time the cleaner production standards for alumina, soda ash, caustic soda and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The production process of these four chemicals each is divided into three levels according to their cleanliness degrees. The first-level cleaner production of PVC by the calcium carbide process and caustic soda by diaphragm process represents China's most advanced level. The first-level cleaner production of PVC by the ethylene process, caustic soda by ion exchange membrane method, soda ash and alumina represents the international advanced level. The second level represents China's advanced level, and the third level represents China's basic acceptable level.
   The standard classified the cleaner production indexes of PVC, caustic soda and alumina into six categories, including production technology and equipment, resources and energy utilization, product quality, pollutant generation (before back end processing), waste recycling and environmental management. There are five categories for the cleaner production of soda ash, including the above indexes except for the product quality.
   The alumina cleaner production standard is applicable to the alumina production by the Bayer process and the combination process with bauxite as the raw material. The soda ash cleaner production standard can direct the production of soda ash companies using the ammonia-soda process and the Hou's process, but it is not applicable to these companies' ammonia production and thermal power generation, as well as the production of downstream products like baking soda and calcium chlorine. The caustic soda cleaner production standard is applicable to the production of caustic soda by ion exchange membrane process and the diaphragm process. The PVC cleaner production standard can direct the production of general-purpose PVC resin by the calcium carbide process and the ethylene process. Enterprises producing PVC with the dichloroethane cracking process or the purchased vinyl chloride monomers can implement the cleaner production standard of PVC for the ethylene process.
   These standards will take effect on October 1st, 2009. The MEP says that it will timely revise these standards according to the technological advances in the future.