Solving environmental pollution from coal sintering production activities

BDK - On June 12, 2022, the Provincial People's Committee issued Official Dispatch No. 3600/UBND-KT on continuing to strengthen the handling of environmental pollution for sintered coal production facilities and Official Dispatch No. 1286/UBND-KT dated February 28, 2025 on strengthening the handling of environmental pollution for sintered coal production activities. The Department of Agriculture and Environment (DARD) has organized the implementation and achieved many positive results.

Production of sintered coal for export in Phong Nam commune, Giong Trom district.

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment Vo Van Ngoan, currently, in the province, there are 46 establishments producing sintered charcoal from coconut shells using traditional furnaces, a total of 409 furnaces, of which Giong Trom district has 39 establishments with 356 furnaces, a decrease of 2 establishments due to suspension of operations, Binh Dai has 5 establishments with 11 furnaces, of which 1 establishment has suspended operations due to lack of an exhaust gas treatment system, Chau Thanh has 2 establishments with 3 furnaces, of which 1 new establishment has arisen in the form of transfer from the establishment arising in 2023 and Chau Thanh District People's Committee has imposed administrative sanctions for using land for the wrong purpose, requiring dismantling and restoring the original land use status.

In early 2025, in Ben Tre City, a coal production facility was recorded and administrative violations related to construction and improper use of land were handled, requiring the facility not to operate. The City People's Committee is continuing to monitor and manage this case. In Mo Cay Nam District, there was also a facility investing in testing production technology transferred from existing technology. At the end of May 2025, the Department of Science and Technology coordinated with the Department of Agriculture and Environment and the locality to work with the facility. Thereby, the direction in Official Dispatch No. 3600/UBND-KT of the Provincial People's Committee was implemented so that the facility could comply with regulations, while notifying the locality to continue monitoring the facility's operations, and only allowing operations when ensuring compliance with regulations on land and environment.

Regarding the application of technology to treat emissions from coal sintering production activities, at the end of 2024, the Department of Agriculture and Environment presided over and coordinated with the Department of Science and Technology and the People's Committee of Giong Trom district to carry out and complete the task of assessing the current status of applying models of treating emissions from traditional coal sintering production in the province to recommend effective models in reducing emissions from coal sintering production activities. Through the results of sampling emissions from 4 coal sintering flue gas treatment models in Phong Nam, Thanh Phu Dong and Hung Phong communes, it was shown that the concentration of pollution (CO) at the facilities has decreased significantly and at times the results met environmental technical standards.

Based on the results achieved, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has consulted on developing a document summarizing the pollution treatment efficiency of the applied models and introducing effective models from the above models.

On March 21, 2025, the Department of Agriculture and Environment chaired a conference to deploy the results of the task of assessing the current situation and introducing models for treating smoke emissions from sintered coal production. As a result, 33/47 coal production facilities and households attended the conference. Thereby, the facilities also surveyed the actual facilities that are applying basic models that are effective in reducing emissions into the environment.

After the conference, up to now, in Giong Trom district, there are 13 establishments that have invested in improving the exhaust gas treatment system and are in the process of trial operation, including 10 establishments in Phong Nam commune, 2 establishments in Thanh Phu Dong commune, 1 establishment in Hung Phong commune. Other establishments have implemented the content and signed a commitment to implement the roadmap to complete by the end of September 2025 at the latest. From October 2025, coal sintering establishments that have not completed the exhaust gas treatment system must stop operating according to current law. In Binh Dai district, there is 1 establishment that is constructing an exhaust gas treatment system and 3 establishments that have hired a unit to build an exhaust gas treatment system. One coal sintering facility in Chau Thanh district committed to building a smoke treatment system according to the roadmap to complete before September 2025, the remaining facility requested to strictly comply with the decision to sanction administrative violations related to land and restore the original status.

Article and photos: Hoang Phuong

(to be continued)

Source: https://baodongkhoi.vn/giai-quyet-o-nhiem-moi-truong-tu-hoat-dong-san-xuat-than-thieu-ket-11062025-a147976.html