Chinese government freezes flake graphite output iChinese government freezes flake graphite output in Qingdao
09 November 2012
Bureau seeks to eradicate pollution from one of China’s largest graphite regions
A formal notice preventing the approval of any additional graphite processing plants in the towns of Pingdu and Laixi in Shandong province, northeast China, has been issued by the Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau for Qingdao, IM has learned.
The two towns, which are among China’s largest flake graphite-producing regions, have been ordered not to allow any further graphite plants to be established in the area as part of an environmental damage rectification programme, China’s People’s Daily has reported.
The order is the first significant restriction on the flake graphite industry in China, and will mean that there can be no future increase in high-value processed graphite output from the region.
Shandong province, which contains the coastal city of Qingdao, is home to a number of the country’s most significant graphite companies, including Qingdao Haida Graphite Co. Ltd and Qingdao Xinghe Graphite Co. Ltd.
China prioritises environment over industry
An official announcement was made on 30 October, outlining the Bureau’s “Special Rectification Programme for Environmental Pollution of Graphite Industry,” citing water pollution in Pingtang River as the reason for the order. It states that any new graphite factories that have already been approved must be checked against the requirements of the new regulation to ensure that their methods of production are of acceptable environmental quality. Factories whose methods do not receive environmental acceptance from the Bureau will be forced to cease operations,and will need to apply for acceptance within a limited time in order to resume production. Any facilities that fail to be approved will not be able to apply again, and will be shut down by local government. The order also stipulates that any companies deemed responsible for environmental pollution will be forced to rectifythe damage or face being closed down.
Additionally, the graphite separation and processing companies must establish waste water handling facilities and above-ground waste water discharge outlets, as well as implementing measures to prevent any leakage of waste.
Impact may be limited
The region’s local environmental department will begin inspecting facilities from 30 November 30th. Following an initial round of checks, Qingdao Environmental Protection Bureau will conduct facility inspections at random.
IM has learned, however, that the new regulation may have a limited impact as many of the local graphite mines in Shandong are nearing the end of their producing lives.
A number of factories said that they only use graphite from the Heilongjiang province to the north of Shandong, where they co-operate with local producers. These companies may therefore be able to transfer their operations to Heilongjiang in the event of their Shandong facilities being closed down by the local authorities.
https://www.indmin.com/Print.aspx?ArticleId=3115712 10/11/2012