Dongguan eliminates 6,500 sets of UV photolysis equipment, with surface treatment and furniture manufacturing being the focus

On November 22, the Dongguan Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau issued the “Notice on Accelerating the Elimination of Inefficient Volatile Organic Compounds Treatment Facilities”, proposing to gradually complete the phase-out by industry by the end of September 2024. The task of eliminating inefficient VOCs treatment facilities.

UV photolysis is a type of photooxidation technology. UV photolysis equipment is commonly used air pollution prevention and control equipment in various enterprises in Dongguan City. After years of practice, the ecological environment authorities have discovered that this equipment has major flaws. First of all, it poses a large fire hazard.

At present, more than 5,000 enterprises in Dongguan City have adopted UV photolysis technology in their air pollution prevention and control facilities, and there are about 6,500 sets of UV photolysis equipment. According to incomplete statistics, as of the end of October this year, there have been more than 60 fire accidents in air pollution prevention and control facilities in the city, most of which were caused by UV photolysis equipment. The number of similar fire accidents has increased significantly compared with last year. According to the investigation results of the accident, the direct cause of the fire was mainly sparks generated by short circuit of electrical equipment in the UV photolysis equipment, increased heat accumulation temperature of the heating elements in the equipment, aging and cracking of the UV light tube, which ignited paint slag, dust and combustible materials in the equipment and pipelines. mixed composition.

Although the fire accidents at Dongguan air pollution prevention and control facilities this year have not caused any casualties, they are still very dangerous. A little carelessness may lead to casualties or heavy property losses. In addition to large fire hazards, UV photolysis equipment also has problems that are difficult to solve due to the nature of the process, such as low exhaust gas purification efficiency, low-altitude ozone generation causing secondary pollution, short lamp life, and high energy consumption.

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment’s “Comprehensive Treatment Plan for Volatile Organic Compounds in Key Industries” identifies low-temperature plasma, photooxidation, and photocatalysis as inefficient technologies. In 2021, the Provincial People’s Government issued the “Notice on Issuing the Work Plan for the Prevention and Control of Air, Water, and Soil Pollution in Guangdong Province in 2021” (Guangdong Banhan [2021] No. 58), requiring companies to be guided to gradually phase out photooxidation, photocatalysis, and low-temperature plasma Governance facilities.

Dongguan City’s “Notice on Accelerating the Elimination of Inefficient Volatile Organic Compounds Treatment Facilities” clearly requires relevant matters.

1. Scope of elimination

The scope of elimination includes inefficient volatile organic compound treatment facilities that use photooxidation, photocatalysis, low-temperature plasma and the above combined technologies. Photooxidation, photocatalysis, and low-temperature plasma technologies that are only used to control odor and odor during sewage treatment are not included in the scope of elimination.

2. Elimination standards

Remove the main body of the photooxidation, photocatalysis, and low-temperature plasma equipment or accessory components such as lamp tubes, sockets, and supporting power systems, and disconnect the relevant circuits. The dismantled and scrapped UV lamps must be sent to a qualified unit for disposal as hazardous waste.

3. Time requirements

Different industries will gradually complete the elimination of the above-mentioned inefficient volatile organic compound treatment facilities. Among them, the surface coating industry and the furniture manufacturing industry will strive to complete it before the end of June 2024, and other industries will strive to complete it before the end of September 2024.

4. Work requirements

(1) Strict environmental assessment and approval. During the environmental assessment and approval stage of construction projects, in principle, it is prohibited to use photooxidation, photocatalysis, low-temperature plasma and the above combined technologies to treat waste gas containing volatile organic compounds, and it is prohibited to add new low-efficiency volatile organic compound treatment facilities such as UV photolysis.

(2) Strengthen supervision and guidance. The production and operation unit is the main body responsible for safety production. The main person in charge of the production and operation unit is the first person responsible for the unit’s safety production and is fully responsible for the unit’s safety production work. Each ecological environment branch should supervise and guide relevant enterprises to complete the phase-out tasks on time by issuing notices and proposals to the main persons in charge of relevant enterprises, and organizing and holding briefings.

(3) Correctly perform administrative powers. If an enterprise decommissions or eliminates inefficient volatile organic compound treatment facilities in accordance with policies and can maintain pollutant discharge standards, the ecological environment department shall follow the principle of inclusiveness and prudence and shall not use “abnormal operation of pollution prevention and control facilities” or “unauthorized dismantling or idle pollution prevention and control facilities” “Penalize the company on the basis of If an enterprise transforms its volatile organic compounds treatment facilities in accordance with policies and can maintain pollutant emissions up to standard, the ecological environment department shall not require the enterprise to resubmit an environmental impact assessment on the grounds of “major changes”. In addition, assistance work should be done to guide enterprises to fill in the environmental impact registration form as required and change the pollution discharge license accordingly.

(4) Increase the publicity of subsidy policies. Encourage enterprises to upgrade and transform on the basis of phasing out inefficient volatile organic compound treatment facilities, and actively guide air pollution prevention and transformation projects that meet the conditions of the “Guidelines for the Entry of Central Ecological Environment Fund Project Reserve Banks” to apply for the central air pollution prevention and control project bank, so as to reduce the burden on enterprises. financial pressure.

(5) Seriously investigate the responsibility of the enterprise responsible for the accident. For enterprises that do not eliminate inefficient volatile organic compound treatment facilities as required, strengthen supervision and inspection. After the occurrence of secondary environmental emergencies such as fires, promptly carry out pollution damage assessment work, calculate emergency response costs, ecological environment damage and other direct economic If there is any loss, the company involved in the accident shall be held strictly accountable for compensation.

(6) Strict integrity and self-discipline. Standardize the clean political behavior of leading cadres and prevent environmental protection system staff and their relatives from illegally intervening in corporate environmental protection facility renovation projects. prohibited fromEnterprises are required to designate pollution prevention and control process technologies. It is prohibited to force enterprises to add additional pollution control measures to increase the cost of pollution control. It is prohibited to designate companies to engage in environmental protection projects and safety projects for enterprises.