Yumenkou Coking 1.72 Mt/a Plant Wastewater Salt-Splitting ZLD Project Enters Trial Operation in Shanxi

According to information published by the Hejin Municipal People's Government, the comprehensive wastewater expansion and salt-splitting zero liquid discharge (ZLD) project at Yumenkou Coking's 1.72 million tonnes per year coking plant has reached 95% of total works and entered full trial operation. It is one of Hejin's designated key projects for 2026.

The project started in January 2026 with a total investment of RMB 63.5 million on a 1,300 square metre footprint. Its main components include:

• a new brine reverse osmosis (RO) system
• a two-stage nanofiltration (NF) system
• a multi-effect evaporative crystallization system
• a refrigeration-based Glauber's salt system
• a mixed-salt treatment system
• a new high-density phenol-cyanide clarifier for reclaimed water plus two primary ultrafiltration units

Built around a salt-splitting train, the project upgrades existing equipment, extends membrane filtration run cycles in the water reuse system, and raises evaporative crystallization capacity for salt recovery, delivering both environmental and economic returns.

Once in service, all wastewater will be fully reused to achieve zero liquid discharge. The plant is designed to produce 5,475 tonnes per year of sodium chloride and 2,920 tonnes per year of sodium sulfate, generating about RMB 0.6 million in product value while cutting more than RMB 6 million per year in hazardous mixed-salt disposal costs.

During the 20 October commissioning run, the control room monitored equipment pressure and system status in real time, the laboratory tested water quality indicators and product salt quality, and field operators replaced filter cartridges and logged operating pressures. Yumenkou Coking said it will keep optimising process parameters and operating procedures to bring the project to full, stable production.