Slag yard covered by green grass planted by Duyen Hai Thermal Power Company
On the green signals
Managing and operating 2 thermal power plants of Duyen Hai 1 and Duyen Hai 3 (in Tra Vinh province) with a total capacity of 2,490MW; Duyen Hai Thermal Power Company (Power Generation Corporation 1) is about to ensure an "output" for about 1.6 million tons of ash and slag/year. In the previous years, this Company spent VND 50 billion on hiring units to transport ash and slag as well as perform rolling, ramming and moisturizing on its collection areas. Despite a large amount of money spent, in only 2 years, its slag collection yards faced a risk of lacking space for storage. This situation could make the operation of the two plants suspended. Recently, Duyen Hai Thermal Power Company has been actively seeking for and cooperating with 8 partners to buy its ash and slag. So that in 2019, the Company sold nearly 100% of ash and slag quantity released by Duyen Hai 3 Thermal power plant and handling about 70% of the by-product quantity of Duyen Hai 1 Thermal Power Plant. As a result, the Company not only saved tens of billion Vietnam dongs for transporting and treating ash and slag on collection areas but also gained revenues from selling ash and slag.
At the same time, Duyen Hai Thermal Power Company developed a "green planning" on its slag yards, hiring partners to cultivate and keep taking care of casuarina trees around the yards, constructing high dykes to create an isolated area without impacts on the surrounding environment. The company plants grass on slag yards; releasing fishes and shrimps in slag lakes, creating an ecosystem for the area. From being "isolated", the slag yards of the two plants now have a green vitality and completely new looking.
The story of "greening" slag yards and promoting the consumption of ash and slag at Duyen Hai Thermal Power Company shows many positive changes and results in environmental protection. Remarkably, this is not the only unit in Vietnam Electricity to successfully perform these activities. In fact, many EVN's thermal power plants have a “tradition” of properly treating and selling their ash and slag. Typically: Uong Bi, Hai Phong, Pha Lai Thermal Power Companies, etc., have sold 100% of their by-products over the years, Nghi Son 1 and Thai Binh thermal power plants also sell most of their ash and slag amount, etc.
The proactiveness of EVN and its units
Positive results in ash and slag consumption gained by EVN’s power plants come from a synchronous implementation of solutions. In order to attract purchasing partners, the thermal power plants have focused on improving the quality of their by-products. EVN often works with international partners to exchange opinions and learn experiences in treating and selling ash and slag. EVN's power plants have established Adjustment Teams, ensuring reliable operation as well as good quality of ash and slag output: low carbon content, burnout; oil resistance, etc.
EVN’s Engineering and Production Department informed that the power plants have collaborated with domestic and foreign inspection units such as VinaControl, Vietnam Institute for Building science and technology (Ministry of Construction), JCoal (Japan) to conduct assessing, sampling and certifying the ash and slag quality following Vietnamese standards for materials for levelling and construction, etc. This is an important basis to deliver ash and slag meeting the required standards into the market.
In addition, EVN and its units have carefully selected partners to purchase ash and slag; taking into consideration of their capacity, feasible solutions, cooperation duration with EVN, then the price of ash and slag is considered. EVN has created all favourable conditions for partners who have effective solutions to reuse ash and slag to access this source of raw materials at the Group's coal-fired thermal plants.