¡¡¡¡In 2006, Rizhao Port broke the 100-million-ton mark in its cargo throughput for the first time, becoming the country¡¯s ninth 100-million-ton major port. During the first half of 2008, it continued swift growth as the country¡¯s largest iron ore import terminal.

¡¡¡¡Step by step, Rizhao Port is now drawing increasingly intense public scrutiny.

¡¡¡¡Rizhao Port does a good job in environmental protection as the Shandong Provincial Excellent Enterprise in Environmental Protection 1998-2003. With the implementation of China's 11th Five-Year plan, it will stick to the annual emission reduction schedule, and lower its industrial oxygen requirements from 104.14 tons in 2007 to 92.4 tons by 2010, and lower sulfur dioxide emissions from 166 to 145.66 tons.

¡¡¡¡All efforts against the sources of contamination

¡¡¡¡Sources of contamination in port production and construction mainly include waste water, emissions, dust, noise, solid wastes and so on, and ports are handling them in several different ways. Rizhao Port has adopted reasonable and effective measures in a range of areas under its control so as to minimise the pollution caused to its surroundings.
¡¡¡¡All terminal projects have been equipped with sound sewage treatment facilities, e.g. the coal terminal has a 6000m3 stormwater sediment basin, the ore terminal has a stormwater treatment plant with a handling capacity of 50m3/hour. In oil pollutant prevention and treatment, Rizhao Port has formulated a detailed emergency plan for preventing pollution from ship berthing; in oil terminals and oil tanks, oil-water separation devices have been installed to dispose of oily wastewater; bar gates are being used to prevent oil spills; and oil collection, resumption and absorption devices and materials are being prepared. Domestic sewage is being collected and pumped to urban sewage plants following initial treatment.
¡¡¡¡Over the past few years, Rizhao Port has created a RMB 100-million-plus special fund to increase controls on pollutant emissions, by which the port coal-fired boilers are being retrofitted with desulphurisation and dust removal technology. All boilers have now reduced their dust and sulphur dioxide emissions. Oil and chemicals must be transported in safe and sealed special equipments to prevent spills, leaks and dripping.
¡¡¡¡Even though port handling areas are still a distance away from residential blocks, Rizhao Port is strict in the choice of terminal and yard operating machinery, emphasising noise standards and regulations, encouraging the apropriate operation of machinery and equipments, reducing whistles by incoming trains. On both sides of roads and around the yard, green belts have also been put in place to reduce noise.
¡¡¡¡To control solid wastes, complete garbage collection, cleaning and transport facilities have been established. Domestic solid wastes as well as restricted and recycled production garbage are collected by special vehicles and then carried to urban garbage treatment plants. Disposal of specific pollutants such as residual oil from ships are entrust to special handling units.
¡¡¡¡Regulations also require reduced handling quantities for high dust-producing items, extra care, slower lifting speeds and lower piling heights. When wind speeds pass specific levels, operations must be paused, goods covered and 24-hour watering applied in operating areas, and this is particularly stressed in yards surrounding scenic areas, yards nea the Beijing Road, and the 2nd Ore Yard (close to residential areas). In addition, according to actual needs, all port roads are watered and cleaned each day; all vehicles going out have to pass through free dust rinses to prevent a secondary pollution and guarantee the maximum environmental protection.
¡¡¡¡To prevent dust, in 2007 Rizhao Port collected more than RMB 160 million and the amount in 2008 reached over RMB 26.80 million, not including the costs of manual cleaning and watering.

¡¡¡¡The prosperous recycling economy

¡¡¡¡In two aspects, Rizhao Port has been vigorously developing a recycling economy. The first area has been to make the most of production sewage for recycling. Eastern coal sedimentation tanks recycle more than 100,000m3 of water each year, ore sewage treatment plants annually recycle over 10,000 m3. If multiplied by RMB 3/m3, then these two projects are able to save more than RMB 300,000. Meanwhile the western area sewage treatment plant is to be finished soon, after construction started in February this year. When completed it will be better recycling efforts and improve the use of production sewage from the western port area. The second area of development has been on a reclaimed water project, which was started in July 2007 with the total investment of RMB 35.05 million, mainly in storage, compression, water-supply systems and automatic sprinkler systems. Currently RMB 22 million has been confirmed as part of the completed Shanghai Road Pipeline Network, the water resources reforming and network project by the No.1 Company as well as the dust sprinkler project in the eastern port area, over 1,000 m3 of reclaimed water is applied per day. The western area sprinklers and pumping stations are still in trial operation. Once they are entirely completed, vehicle cleaning, road watering and most automatic sprinkler systems will be using reclaimed water, both to prevent dust and to save cost, therefore developing a recycling economy.

¡¡¡¡Buying advanced devices

¡¡¡¡One of the major environmental protection initiatives Rizhao Port adopted was the purchase of worldwide advanced equipment and technology and full reliance on technological progress, including:
¡¡¡¡¡ñFirstly, paying RMB 160 million for purchasing a fully-sealed cassava slice-handling machine from Sweden BMH. This is to solve the problems of cassava dust that have vexed Rizhao Port for many years. It will enable Rizhao to be the leading costal port investing the most into cassava dry dust, while receiving the best result. There will also be the first China's berth applying special cassava slice equipment.
¡¡¡¡¡ñ Secondly, Rizhao will input RMB 47 million into the alumina offloading facilities. The alumina downloading and packaging integrated machine is equipped with automatic self-cleaning filters. The wholly-sealed transmission process guarantees limited dust emissions, thus virtually eliminating alumina dust contamination.
¡¡¡¡¡ñ Thirdly, Rizhao is buying in China's most advanced professional handling equipment for bulk grain terminals, which prevents dust problems by using confined belts and specialised ship handling.
¡¡¡¡¡ñ Fourthly, Rizhao is optimising traditional cement clinker uploading practices. Dayu and Shanshui are two cement manufacturers within Rizhao Port, whose cement clinker is ground through confined tanks, transferred and uploaded by the confined belt as well as special ships. This method produced much less dust.
¡¡¡¡¡ñ Finally, Rizhao is spending approx. RMB 6.4 million on six sprinklers and eight cleaning carts to clean and water all port roads as quickly as possible. At present, Rizhao Port already has 14 sprinklers and 12 cleaning carts in service, preventing serious dust issues.

¡¡¡¡Implementing environmental monitoring

¡¡¡¡Early in 1990 Rizhao Port set up an environmental monitoring station and so far over RMB 300 million has been invested for more advanced equipments. Rizhao Port now conducts monitoring over port environmental quality and pollution sources on a daily basis. In the eastern, western and office areas, three monitoring stations are in place for the day-to-day TSP (Total Suspended Particles) monitoring. Eight points are set along the port border for monthly monitoring of dust emission quantities in order to learn what effects the dust from port handling operations has on air quality. Each quarter, six sewage outfalls are supervised to record the ammonia and nitrogen level of domestic waste water, chemical-required oxygen, pH value and the suspended emissions; both before and after the winter heating session, 6-ton-plus gas boilers either in the port or in residential areas are tested for fumes, dust, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emissions. In addition, regular noise monitoring is held over port operating machinery and construction sites.