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1. Project Summary and Relationship to China's Agenda 21

This project seeks to produce dry distillery (DD) fodder, develop methane energy, and reduce the emission of CO2 in the production process of alcohol. This alteration to cleaner production will increase the conversion of reactants, reduce energy consumption, conserve water usage, and reduce pollution.

This project is based on programme areas 12B and 12C of China's Agenda 21, and is related to programme areas 10B, 10C, 14C and 13D.

2. Background

Alcohol is a raw material for medicine, chemicals, light industry, and food production. It is also a new energy source that is highly efficient and environmentally friendly, which plays an important role in the economy. China is the fourth largest country of alcohol production in the world. In 1992, China produced 1.2 million tons (excluding alcohol produced for liquor) . However, China lags behind other countries in terms of production technology and equipment. Alcohol producers in China consume enormous amount of energy and raw materials, create serious pollution and are inefficient. These problems have limited the growth of the industry for a long time.

Alcohol is usually produced from the fermentation of starch (mainly from corn and sweet potato) in China. A large quantity of CO2 and wastes are emitted during the production. Furthermore, unused fat in corn plumule is discharged together with distiller's grains. The rational utilisation of these by-products can reduce pollution, while increasing the profitability of the enterprises.

Since the 1970s, China's alcohol industry has made progress in strengthening quality control and energy conservation. To date, the domestic alcohol industry has achieved 91-92% fermentation of alcohol and 55% conservation from starch to alcohol. These figures are close to the international level. In the 1980s and 1990s, the alcohol industry started to practice cleaner production in China. For instance, the Shanghai Alcohol General Plant established a Dry Distillery Grain Soluble (DDGS) production line with a capacity of 40,000 tons per year. The technology and equipment was imported from the Norwegian KE Co. The production line has already brought profit and reduced pollution.

Nanyang Alcohol General Plant is the pilot project site for methane generation. As the largest alcohol production plant in the country, it generates 40,000 m3 per day of methane for 20,000 households in Nanyang. The project allowed Nanyang to be the first Chinese city using methane as the primary source of energy.

However, the plant faces some difficulties which need to be overcome. First, the plant discharges about 1 million tons of alcohol residues, of which only half are treated by the current methane generation system. As a result, large quantities of untreated residue have been discharged into the Bai River, which causes water pollution in the upstream of the Hanjiang River. Second, the methane supply system does not meet the demand of the city. Hence it is necessary to introduce methane liquification technology to utilise the unused methane. Third, although the digesting liquid is utilised as a highly efficient organic fertiliser, it is still in the research stage. As a result, large quantities of untreated digesting liquid are being discharged into the river directly. Fourth, owing to the low recovery rate, about 97% of CO2 from alcohol production has been emitted into the air. This not only increases the greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, but also wastes this recyclable resource. Finally, the plant consumes about 400 tons of freshwater per hour. The current equipment in the plant needs 70 tons of water for every ton of alcohol. The high consumption causes large quantities of wastewater discharge, which causes severe pollution in the area and increases the critical demand for freshwater.

This project seeks to utilise the distiller's grains by recovering useful compounds. These would be used to produce DDGS through cleaner production technology. The project will also increase the methane energy efficiency, which will conserve energy and reduce pollution. It will provide a cleaner production model for the alcohol brewery industry.

3. Objectives

3.1 Long-term Objective This project will lead to cleaner production in the alcohol and brewery industry. This will strengthen the comprehensive utilisation of natural resources and will develop sustainable production and consumption models.

3.2 Immediate Objectives

• To recover and utilise CO2, which includes constructing a new production line with a recovery capacity of 2.5 million tons of CO2 under normal temperature and pressure, and expanding recovery capacity to 60%;
• To construct a methane production line of 100,000 m3/day;
• To construct a production line which recycles 4000 tons digesting liquid and produces DDGS.

4. Outputs and Activities

4.1 Increase alcohol fermentation from starch, reduce water consumption and develop DDGS fodder.

• Introduction of technologies that improve the alcohol fermentation rate from corn starch;
• Installation of water recycling equipment. This will permit multiple use of water by recycling;
• Production of DDGS fodder by methane fermentation of digesting liquid, which would reduce COD discharge.

Monitoring Indicators: Improving efficiency in alcohol production from 50% to 55%, and reducing 40% of COD.

Implementing Agencies: The Henan Provincial Government and Nanyang Alcohol General Plant Time Schedule: June 1996 - October 1998

4.2 Increase the recovery rate of CO2 to 60% during the fermentation

• Introduction and development of recovery equipment for highly purified CO2;
• Ablution and purification of recovered CO2 to 99.5% purity. The CO2 will then be further purified by active-carbon absorption or molecular sieve desiccator to increase the purity to 99.95%;
• Research and develop the CO2 related products under normal temperature and pressure.

Monitoring Indicator: Recovery rate of CO2 to 60%.

Implementing Agencies: The Henan Provincial Government and Nanyang Alcohol General Plant

Time Schedule: June 1996 - October 1998.

4.3 Construction of oval-shaped anaerobic fermentation tank and development of liquefied methane.

• To study the international design and construction of oval-shaped anaerobic fermentation tank;
• Approval and implementation of construction plan of a 100,000 M3 fermentation tank;
• Formulation of methane liquification plan;
• Research, installation and application of liquefication storage equipment under normal temperature and pressure.

Monitoring Indicator: Application of 100,000 M3 methane fermentation tank.

Implementing Agencies: The Henan Provincial Government and Nanyang Alcohol General Plant

Time Schedule: October 1996 - October 1998.

4.4 Irrigation model of various digesting liquid and construction of irrigation facilities of digesting liquids

• Pre-treatment of digesting liquid for agricultural irrigation;
• Selection and implementation of plan for irrigating digesting liquid;
• Construction of irrigating facilities for digesting liquid.

Monitoring Indicator: Application on a large scale of digesting liquid for irrigation

Implementing Agencies: The Henan Provincial Government and Nanyang Alcohol General Plant

Time Schedule: October 1996 - December 1998.

4.5 Training and information exchange

• Domestic and international experience in technology exchange;
• Training of personnel in technical and quality control management skills in China and abroad;
• International workshop or panel discussion on key technology.

Monitoring Indicators: Organise 2 technical forums and train 100 managers and technicians

Implementing Agencies: The State Economic and Trade Commision, Chinese National Council of Light Industry and related project agencies.

Time Schedule: October 1996 - December 1998

5. Inputs

5.1 Chinese inputs

Chinese inputs will be used for the equipment, infrastructure, installation and land acquisition.

5.2 International inputs

International inputs will be used for personnel training, international consultants, and some of the instrument and equipment.

5.3 Budget

The total capital needed for this project is US$ 9.55 million. The Chinese participants will raise US$ 5.85 million from domestic sources, while foreign aid and investment will cover the other US$ 3.70 million.

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Table 1. Budget by Item (in million US dollars)

Table 2. Budget by Output (in million US dollars)

6. Benefits

This project can fundamentally control the pollution of high-concentrated organic wastewater discharged from the alcohol brewery industry, which can reduce the environmental loads of COD. Furthermore, the project aims to reduce CO2 emission, which will improve the air quality and reduce the greenhouse effect. This project will serve as a cleaner production model that will drive other alcohol plants to reform. This project will also serve as a regional model for cleaner production, renewable energy and waste reclamation. This will ensure sustainability and productivity of the agricultural ecosystem.

7. Risks

The technology used in this project is premature. Specifically the irrigation of digesting liquid and the treatment of residue is still in the research and development stage. The premature status may cause further pollution in the area. To avoid this problem, the implementing agency wishes to introduce advanced technology through international co-operation.

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