Yinchuan Development Zone Reuses over 5.6 Million m3 of Reclaimed Water with Industrial Water Reuse Rate above 96%

Yinchuan News Network reports that the Yinchuan Economic and Technological Development Zone, designated a national-level green park and a national water-efficiency leader, posts impressive green indicators: comprehensive utilization of general industrial solid waste above 97%, industrial water reuse rate above 96%, and energy consumption per unit of industrial value added at only one seventh of the regional average. Over the years the zone has embedded ecological civilization into the whole cycle of park planning, construction and management, using industrial symbiosis to put idle resources back to work and green transition to drive industrial upgrading.

Putting tailwater back to work

Sapphire substrate production is water-intensive. At Tiantong Yinxia New Material Co., Ltd. in the zone, a self-built dual-circulation water system extracts every drop from process wastewater: water from substrate processing is treated on site into reclaimed water, first feeding the crystal-growth workshop cooling towers through an external loop, then used for evaporative temperature control through an internal loop. With this mechanism the company's water reuse rate reaches above 98.5% and wastewater discharge has been cut sharply.

Beyond in-plant recycling, the zone has opened up an external source, turning municipal tailwater that once ran to waste into industrial water. Tailwater from municipal wastewater plants used to be discharged directly with little industrial value. In the zone, a reclaimed water distribution network about 32 km long has been built around an advanced tailwater treatment — pipeline delivery — segregated end-use system, with treated reclaimed water dispatched at different quality grades and pressures to match diverse production scenarios.

According to zone officials, in-plant conservation and the public reclaimed water network complement each other well. Large consumers such as Tiantong Yinxia and Zhonghuan Photovoltaic both operate on-site water reuse facilities and connect to the zone's reclaimed water mains, cutting fresh water intake through multiple measures. Last year the zone's reclaimed water use exceeded 5.6 million m3.

Solid waste synergy and clean energy

Fly ash, desulfurization gypsum and slag from thermal power plants once had little option but stockpiling and landfilling. Today Ningxia Zhongsheng Building Material Technology Co., Ltd., sited next to Xixia Thermal Power Plant, pipes power-plant residue directly into its raw material silo, cutting transfer dust along the way, and processes it through proportioning, autoclaving and cutting into aerated concrete blocks and ALC prefabricated wall panels. Its 5G-enabled smart factory keeps mix ratios precise, cuts material waste by 30% and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by tens of thousands of tonnes a year. The zone has cultivated 6 national-level and 19 regional-level green factories, forming 5 eco-industrial chains around three leading industries and two new business formats.