Industry News
2026-10-12Led by Wanhua Chemical Group Co., Ltd., the Yantai Taozhiwan Wastewater, Reclaimed Water and Sludge Circular Economy Demonstration Project has won the China Civil Engineering Zhan Tianyou Award. The project consists of 11 sub-projects, with a total wastewater treatment capacity of 47万 m³/day, and effluent stably meeting the Quasi-Class IV standard; the reclaimed water production capacity is 20万 tons/day, with a reuse rate of 46.8%, an annual reclaimed water output of 7300万 tons, and an annual carbon dioxide emission reduction of 56.7万 tons.
I. 11 Sub-projects Support the Full-Chain "Water–Energy–Sludge" Circulation
The China Civil Engineering Zhan Tianyou Award is the highest honor in the field of civil engineering technological innovation in China, recognizing outstanding achievements in quality control, technological innovation, green construction and social benefits. The Taozhiwan project's award signifies that this integrated "wastewater–reclaimed water–sludge" synergistic treatment solution has reached the top domestic standard in terms of engineering quality and technical level.
The project is not a single wastewater treatment plant, but a systematic engineering project composed of 11 sub-projects, covering above-ground and underground wastewater treatment systems, large-scale reclaimed water reuse, sludge biogas power generation, sewage-source heat pump heating, distributed photovoltaic power generation and other multifunctional sectors. It is a leading domestic demonstration project for comprehensive water resource recycling with a complete system.
The project has a total wastewater treatment capacity of 47万 m³/day, adopting a phased and zoned construction model, with effluent quality stably meeting the Quasi-Class IV standard. During construction, the treatment process was continuously iterated and optimized, with innovative application of advanced membrane treatment, CDRO concentrated reverse osmosis and other cutting-edge technologies, exploring and forming a mature path for efficient resource utilization of large-scale municipal wastewater facilities.
II. Reclaimed Water: Municipal Wastewater Once Discharged Directly into the Sea Becomes Industry's "Second Water Source"
As one of the largest single-scale municipal wastewater industrial reuse projects in China, the Taozhiwan project has successfully built a full-chain "water–energy–sludge" circular system, achieving synergistic efficiency enhancement of wastewater reclamation, sludge energy recovery and waste heat resource utilization.
Relying on ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis advanced treatment processes, the project can produce high-quality reclaimed water, with water quality superior to tap water standards. At present, the reclaimed water production capacity reaches 20万 tons/day, with a reuse rate of 46.8%, an annual reclaimed water output of 7300万 tons, which can meet the annual water demand of 130万 urban residents.
Municipal wastewater once discharged directly into the sea is now stably converted into industry's "second water source", continuously ensuring production supply for the Wanhua Yantai Industrial Park. This large-scale point-to-point "municipal wastewater–industrial user" supply model provides a replicable and promotable benchmark for water conservation, carbon reduction and green transformation of large petrochemical parks.
In terms of economic efficiency, the project innovatively applies the CDRO reclaimed water process, with a chemical cost of only 0.08元 per ton of water, more than 60% lower than traditional processes, delivering significant economic and green benefits.
III. Energy and Sludge: Multi-Energy Complementarity Supports Low-Carbon Operation
In terms of energy recycling, the project achieves multi-energy complementarity and low-carbon operation:
- Sludge biogas power generation — Through anaerobic fermentation of primary sludge to produce biogas for power generation, annual power generation reaches 208.48万 kWh, providing a practical example for sludge resource utilization in wastewater treatment of high suspended solids water quality in northern China.
- Distributed photovoltaics — The supporting distributed photovoltaics generate 235万 kWh annually, and during peak hours can meet 60% to 70% of the electricity load of the Phase II wastewater treatment facility.
- Sewage-source heat pump — The simultaneously commissioned sewage-source heat pump system can reach a long-term heating load of 96 MW, with a heating area of 240万 m², having operated stably for two consecutive winters, with a heating scale ranking among the top of similar domestic projects.
According to estimates, the project can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 56.7万 tons annually, equivalent to 2.3万 tons of standard coal. This is one of the earlier large-scale comprehensive wastewater treatment projects in China to achieve multi-energy complementary low-carbon operation through sludge biogas power generation, photovoltaic power generation and sewage-source heat pumps.
IV. Industry Observation: Paradigm Shift from "Compliant Discharge" to "Resource Factory"
The Taozhiwan project's award releases a clear industry signal: the evaluation dimensions of large-scale wastewater treatment facilities have changed. In the past, evaluating a wastewater plant meant looking at whether the effluent met standards and whether operation was stable; now it also means looking at whether it can produce water, energy and resources, and whether it can clearly account for carbon and economics.
This shift is highly consistent with policy direction. The "Regulations on Urban Drainage and Sewage Treatment" were revised in accordance with 2026年8月8日 the "Decision of the State Council on Amending and Repealing Certain Administrative Regulations," explicitly encouraging the promotion of advanced and applicable technologies, processes, equipment, and materials, and facilitating the reuse of Reclaimed Water and the resource utilization of sludge and rainwater. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Water Resources disclosed that the national total Reclaimed Water utilization volume has exceeded 256亿 cubic meters, and during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, water consumption per 10,000 yuan of GDP and water consumption per 10,000 yuan of industrial value added will further decrease by 10% respectively on the basis of the end of the "14th Five-Year Plan."
For the environmental protection industry, this paradigm shift means the value of three types of capabilities is being repriced:
- Advanced treatment and membrane system integration capability—For Reclaimed Water to enter industrial systems, water quality must be consistently superior to tap water standards. The integration and operation and maintenance level of processes such as Ultrafiltration, Reverse Osmosis, and CDRO have become core competitiveness.
- Energy self-sufficiency and carbon management capability—The ability to design combinations of multi-energy complementary solutions such as biogas production from Anaerobic digestion, photovoltaics, and source heat pumps directly determines whether a project's carbon account looks good.
- Full-chain cost optimization capability—Behind indicators such as chemical cost per ton of water 0.08元 is the systematic optimization of process selection, chemical management, and operational regulation, rather than the stacking of single pieces of equipment.
Industry analysis suggests that as watershed governance requirements tighten across regions and the "15th Five-Year Plan" water-saving targets are implemented, comprehensive projects featuring integrated "water—energy—sludge" circulation like Taozhiwan will become the mainstream direction for the construction and upgrading/expansion of large-scale municipal sewage facilities.
TIANYI TECH Co., Ltd. (TIANYI LIMITED) is deeply engaged in the fields of sewage treatment and Reclaimed Water Reuse. Centering on the three major directions of "upgrading standards, energy saving, and resource utilization," it provides one-stop services for municipal sewage plants and Industrial Parks, including advanced treatment process integration, Reclaimed Water system construction, sludge energy utilization, and smart operations. The company insists on speaking with verifiable operational data to help customers transform sewage treatment plants from cost centers into resource centers.
Source: Compiled from public reports by China Chemical Industry News and China Chemical Industry Information Network, and public information on the Zhan Tianyou Award selection.
