SE China's Fujian develops green industries

Based on its energy resource conditions, southeast China's Fujian Province has accelerated its research, development and application of energy-saving and carbon emissions reduction technologies in recent years, promoting the constant development of green and low-carbon industries.

The province has developed deep-sea and far-sea aquaculture. At Dinghai Bay in Xiaocheng township, Lianjiang county of the provincial capital Fuzhou, several deep-sea and far-sea aquaculture farming platforms can be seen in the sea.

A fisherman shows abalones raised in a farm in the offshore waters of Pingtan county, Fujian Province. [Photo courtesy of the government of Junshan township, Pingtan]

Lu Tongfeng, who has been engaged in marine farming for over 20 years, has realized intelligent marine farming. By pressing a button, a 62-meter-long net cage with large yellow croakers emerged from the sea.

"In the past, small net cages were mainly used for offshore aquaculture in the bay, which required large amounts of fish feed and high energy consumption. Now, deep-sea and far-sea aquaculture means that fish relying on marine plankton for food and energy self-sufficiency can be basically realized, which reduces pollution and produces fewer carbon emissions," said Dong Yi, deputy director of the ocean and fisheries bureau of Lianjiang county.

Two wind turbines installed on either side of an aquaculture farming platform supply electricity to a control room, where a screen shows the real-time scene in net cages.

"Fewer fish feed means a cleaner sea. Now, our fish farming model becomes smarter and more intensive," said Dong.

Statistics show that Lianjiang has established 11 sets of deep-sea and far-sea aquaculture farming platforms, with a total breeding space reaching nearly 160,000 cubic meters and the economic value of tradable carbon sinks surpassing 100 million yuan ($13.8 million).

Fujian's Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone, which boasts of abundant wind resources, is accelerating the pace of developing clean energy sources, including offshore wind power. At the northern end of Pingtan Island, there are five large offshore wind farms with a total installed capacity of 550,000 kilowatts. Since 2012, Pingtan has invested 1.9 billion yuan in its power grid and built six new substations of 110 kV and above.

Workers lift and install the tower of a wind turbine on the Baihetan offshore wind power installation platform as a 16-megawatt offshore wind turbine begins installation off Pingtan, Fujian Province, June 24, 2023. [Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan]

Statistics show that in 2022, electricity generated by clean energy in the experimental zone approached 1.9 billion kWh, up 75 percent year on year, and the installed capacity of clean energy accounted for 100 percent of the total. The experimental zone can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 1.89 million tonnes every year.

The Hongmiaoling circular economy industrial park, which covers an area of 5,371 mu (358 hectares), in Jin'an district of Fuzhou showcases a circular ecological system for waste management.

Since November 2017, 12 waste disposal projects including power generation through waste incineration have been included in the industrial park.

The industrial park harnesses the heat generated by waste incineration to produce electricity and turns kitchen waste into bio-compost. "Here we ensure the maximum utilization of waste," said Zheng Yanbin, director of the Hongmiaoling comprehensive waste disposal center.

One project in the industrial park generates nearly 200 million kWh of electricity from over 1.5 million tonnes of waste every year. Another project disposes of 400 tonnes of kitchen waste every day, and during the process, 40 tonnes of bio-compost and 30,000 kWh of electricity can be generated.

After harmless treatment, waste incineration slag is also used to produce bricks.

The industrial park can generate approximately 767 million kWh of electricity every year, which is equivalent to a reduction of 538,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, according to an official with Fuzhou's urban management committee.