The Ministry Of Industry And Information Technology And Other Six Departments Issued The 《Industrial Water Efficiency Improvement Action Plan》to Improve The Level Of Industrial Wastewater Recycling in Non-ferrous And Other Industries.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other six departments issued the "Industrial Water Efficiency Improvement Action Plan" to improve the level of industrial wastewater recycling in non-ferrous and other industries.

On June 21st, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Water Resources, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Construction, the General Administration of Market Supervision and other six departments jointly issued the "Industrial Water Efficiency Improvement Action Plan" (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"), proposing that by 2025, the country's 10,000 yuan industrial value-added water consumption will decrease by 16% compared with 2020. The water efficiency of key water-using industries has been further improved. The water intake per ton of steel in the steel industry and the water intake per unit of the main products in the paper industry has decreased by 10%, the water intake per unit of the main products in the petrochemical and chemical industry has decreased by 5%, and the water intake per unit of the main products in the textile, food, and non-ferrous metal industries has decreased by 15%. The level of recycling and utilization of industrial wastewater has been further improved, and the reuse rate of industrial water above the national scale has reached about 94%. The industrial water-saving policy mechanism has become more sound, the awareness of water-saving among enterprises has generally increased, and water-saving production methods have been basically established, and a modern pattern of coordinated development of industrial water use and development scale, industrial structure and spatial layout has been initially formed.

The "Plan" focuses on six aspects to put forward requirements for industrial water efficiency improvement actions.

First, strengthen innovative applications and accelerate the promotion of water-saving technologies.

Strengthen the research and transformation of key core technologies. Among them, the key core technology research directions of the non-ferrous metal industry are the deep treatment and reuse of heavy metal wastewater from non-ferrous smelting, the recycling and utilization of high-salt wastewater from hydrometallurgy, and the treatment and resource utilization of heavy metal metallurgical acid wastewater. Actively promote water-saving technology and equipment. Encourage local, industry associations and key enterprises to carry out activities such as technical exchanges, business training, and supply and demand docking, and vigorously promote the application of water-saving technology and equipment such as efficient cooling and washing, wastewater recycling, and high-water-consuming process substitution. By 2025, promote the application of 200 advanced and applicable industrial water-saving technologies and equipment.

The second is to strengthen the transformation and upgrading to improve the water efficiency of key industries.

Promote the improvement and transformation of water efficiency in key industries. Encourage industrial enterprises, parks, and agglomeration areas to take the initiative to carry out or entrust third-party service agencies to carry out water-saving assessments of production processes and equipment, dig deep into water-saving potential, implement industrial water efficiency improvement and transformation, and promote the integration and optimization of water systems to achieve series water use, qualitative water use, multi-purpose use of one water and cascade utilization. Carry out industrial green and low-carbon upgrading and transformation actions, guide financial institutions to give priority to green credit to support water efficiency improvement and transformation projects, and accelerate the construction of unconventional water use facilities such as wastewater recycling, seawater, rainwater, and mine water. The key directions for the improvement, transformation and upgrading of water efficiency in the non-ferrous metal industry are: source control and optimization and regulation of acidic wastewater in non-ferrous mines, the quality and reuse of mineral processing wastewater, and the treatment and reuse of heavy metal wastewater from non-ferrous smelting. Promote the collaborative transformation of water conservation and carbon reduction. Focus on key water industries and support enterprises to give priority to the transformation of water-saving and carbon-reducing technologies such as anaerobic ammonia oxidation and denitrification, new energy sources, and seawater desalination. Encourage qualified central enterprises and parks to implement digital carbon reduction transformation on the basis of existing water management systems, and collaborate in the collection, analysis and management of water use data and carbon emission data. Explore the establishment of a new model of water-saving and carbon-reducing cooperation between upstream and downstream enterprises, and promote upstream enterprises to use wastewater with high organic matter concentration, good biochemical properties, and no toxic and harmful substances as a supplement to the carbon source of downstream sewage treatment plants, reduce outsourcing carbon sources, and realize water-saving and carbon-reducing synergies.

The third is to strengthen open-source water conservation and optimize the structure of industrial water use.

Promote the recycling and utilization of industrial wastewater. Expand the scale of industrial utilization of seawater, mine water, and rainwater. Encourage qualified mining areas, surrounding industrial enterprises and industrial parks to strengthen technological transformation, build a number of mine water treatment and quality utilization projects, and increase the scale of mine water utilization. Encourage enterprises and parks to establish and improve facilities for rainwater collection, storage and utilization, rainwater and sewage diversion, strengthen the construction of pipe networks, effectively use rainwater resources, and reduce the amount of new water. By 2025, the industry will use 500 million cubic meters of seawater, mine water, and rainwater.

Fourth, strengthen benchmarking to meet standards and improve the water-saving standard system.

Strengthen the demonstration and leadership of industrial water efficiency. By 2025, more than 50% of enterprises in key water-using industries such as iron and steel, petrochemical and chemical industry will meet the standards of water-saving enterprises, 120 water-saving benchmark enterprises and 60 benchmark parks will be created, and 50 water efficiency “leader” enterprises and 20 “leader” parks will be selected. Improve the industrial water-saving standard system. Encourage participation in international standardization activities in the field of water conservation and jointly formulate international standards. By 2025, 100 water-saving standards will be revised, and standards such as water quotas and water-saving enterprises will basically cover key water-using industries.

Fifth, strengthen the use of water for production and promote the development of water-friendly industries.

Continuously optimize the structure of the aquaculture industry. Strictly implement the production capacity replacement policies of steel, cement, flat glass, electrolytic aluminum and other industries, and strictly control the new production capacity of ammonium phosphate, yellow phosphorus, calcium carbide and other industries. New projects should implement the same or reduced replacement of production capacity. Promote the exit of backward production capacity in accordance with the law and regulations, and curb unreasonable water demand. Accelerate the development of advanced manufacturing industries and strategic emerging industries such as a new generation of information technology, high-end equipment, biotechnology, new energy, new materials and green environmental protection, increase the proportion of low-water consumption and high-yield industries, and reduce water resource consumption. Improve regional industrial water efficiency according to local conditions. Implement major regional strategies, and promote industrial water efficiency improvement in differentiation based on the characteristics of water resource endowments and water environment carrying capacity in different regions. In Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, the Yellow River Basin and other regions, strictly control the new production capacity of key water industries such as iron and steel, petroleum refining, ammonium phosphate, and electrolytic aluminum, and develop the modern coal chemical industry in a safe and orderly manner. Promote enterprises to implement water-saving transformation, accelerate the recycling of wastewater and the use of unconventional water such as seawater, recycled water, and brackish water, and reduce the amount of new water. In areas such as the Yangtze River Economic Belt, clean production is fully implemented to reduce pollutant emissions from the source. Accelerate the relocation and transformation of hazardous chemical enterprises in densely populated urban areas such as the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and strengthen the remediation and upgrading of chemical parks. Promote enterprises along the river to increase the recycling and utilization of wastewater, improve the reuse rate of water, and reduce wastewater discharge.

Sixth, strengthen digital empowerment and improve management service capabilities.

Improve the level of digital water efficiency management; enhance the ability of intelligent water-saving services; encourage third-party institutions to provide water resource technology, data, policies and other information services to industrial enterprises and the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain through a new generation of information technologies such as the Internet of Things, 5G, and artificial intelligence in accordance with the principle of marketization. By 2025, cultivate 100 high-quality water efficiency improvement system solution service providers.