Over four million tons of untreated coal ash and slag, discharged from thermal power plants in the south-central coastal province of Binh Thuan, pose serious risks to the environment, said a local official, quoted by Thanh Nien newspaper, during a meeting with the Construction Ministry on December 14.

A view of Vinh Tan 2 Thermal Plant – PHOTO: VIETNAM ENERGY

A report by Power Generation Corporation 3 (Genco 3) under the State-run Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN), shows that the combined amount of coal ash and slag at the two plants Vinh Tan 2 and Vinh Tan 4, both located in Tuy Phong District, has amounted to over four million tons.

The report estimates that if there are no viable treatment solutions, their 49-hectare storage area will be filled by 2020.

Thien Thanh Son, director of Vinh Tan Thermal Power Company, said at the meeting that the amount of coal ash and slag discharged from Vinh Tan 2 has reached 37.5% of the storage capacity, while the figure for Vinh Tan 4 has been some 6%.

He added that Vinh Tan 2 called upon the private sector to treat its coal ash, selecting Mai Xanh Investment Company. However, after three years Mai Xanh has not been able to develop a plant to manufacture unbaked bricks from coal ash and slag.

The Government has developed criteria for coal ash and slag to be used as floor-leveling materials. However, the Construction Ministry has yet to issue guidelines on technical standards, specifically a circular on using coal ash, slag and gypsum as building materials, according to a Cienco 3 leader.

The source revealed that thermal power plants at EVN consume some 34 million tons of coal, and discharge around eight million tons of coal ash and slag on an annual basis.

The province’s vice chairman, Luong Van Hai, expressed his concern over the increasing amount of untreated coal ash and slag, which can put the environment at high risk. He then proposed that the ministry lay down standards for the use of coal ash and slag as materials for building the foundation for an upcoming highway in the province, as soon as possible.

Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh stressed that the responsibility for the treatment of coal ash and slag primarily lies with EVN and, particularly, its subsidiary Genco 3.

That Vinh Tan 2 burns very low-quality coal leads to rapid build-ups of ash and slag waste, Sinh said, suggesting that the plant should mix its available coal with high-quality coal to reduce the discharged waste.

He also proposed that the provincial government create favorable conditions for firms to build coal ash and slag treatment plants.

SGT