| The Regional Project on Technical Assistance for Environmental Cooperation in North-East Asia
Some areas of the North-East Asia sub-region depend heavily on coal as major energy supply. The pollutant emissions thereof have called for the attention and rallied efforts on the part of national governments and international organizations. Monitoring and human (organizational) capacity building are, among others, essential efforts to protect the environment especially in connection with coal-fired power plants.
SOM-1 (1993) identified three areas of sub-regional environmental cooperation amongst the six member countries of NEASPEC. Two of them were a) energy and air pollution; and b) capacity building.
SOM-2 (1994) selected three sub-projects out of five proposed. They were:
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Training for sulfur dioxide reduction in coal-fired power plants |
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Demonstration of low-air pollution coal-fired power plant technology |
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Environmental pollution data-collection, comparability and analysis |
SOM-3  (50 kb) (1996) delineated and dwelt on the issue of how the projects were to be implemented.
These three projects were interrelated.
Sub-project I looked into the common problems of coal-fired power plants contributing to increased pollutant emissions, with an aim to develop a regional programme that would demonstrate locally, cost-effective means of reducing sulfur dioxide from coal combustion in older power plants. Activities focused on technology transfer and institutional development in coal quality improvement, appropriate hands-on Operation & Maintenance skills, efficiency enhancing equipment and pollution control technologies.
Sub-project I was implemented through an initial meeting held in 26-28 June, 1997, entitled ‘Conference of Electric Utility Plant Operations Experts on Reduction of Sulfur Dioxide in Older Coal-Fired Power Plants', which focused on capacity and institution building, application of clean coal technologies and exchange of experiences among experts. The second move was to develop a new RETA document as endorsed by SOM-4. The third move included training sessions for O&M best practices, and pollution control upgrades, retrofits, and installing anti-pollution equipment.
With an aim to identifying opportunities for subregional cooperation based on the best available technologies in the region, Sub-project II provided participants with information from all member countries and demonstrated the full range of technologies available in each country to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and particulate matters. O&M techniques for increasing efficiency, reducing emissions, and maintaining pollution abatement equipment were thoroughly discussed.
Six technology demonstrations and on-site workshops were conducted to discuss various aspects of clean technology applied to electric power generation facilities. They were:
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Tong Liao, China (October 1996) |
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Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (June 1997) |
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Taejon, ROK (July 1997) |
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Nanjing, China (November 1997) |
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Moscow, Russia (January 1998) |
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Yokohama City, Japan (March 1998) |
Sub-project III aimed to augment and establish the processes, methodology and guidelines for environmental pollution data collection comparability and analysis for air and water. More specifically, the objectives under this sub-project were:
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to develop approaches to ensure international comparability of national environmental data; |
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to identify data gaps and ways to augment data collection; |
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to identify training needs for technicians and scientists to implement monitoring; esp. training the trainers; |
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to identify equipment needs to implement a regional emissions deposition survey ; and |
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to discuss models representing regional transport and deposition of pollutants. |
The activities focused on the measurement and analysis of the environmental impacts of those pollutant emissions and provided an opportunity for participants to exchange information on the emissions and air quality monitoring in the sub-region. Information regarding the comparability, availability and quality of environmental data among the countries of the region was exchanged.
Sub-project III was implemented in a series of three steps:
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a meeting of experts on pollution monitoring and analysis in July 1997, Seoul, ROK; |
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development of a detailed work programme to accomplish the five afore-mentioned objectives (i.e. the project profile endorsed by SOM-4); |
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execution of the work programme (i.e. seeking funding for initiation of the work programme). |
Steps a) and b) were carried out under the ADB-RETA.
These sub-projects, funded by ADB, were implemented by UNESCAP in collaboration with governments of China, Mongolia, ROK and Japan between October 1996 and March 1998. The concrete results from the three sub-projects were: information sharing; energy efficiency promotion; and strengthening capacities on pollution data collection, monitoring and analysis of comparability of ambient and emission data from power plants.
The mid-term review meeting (48 kb) held on 20-21 October 1997 in Bangkok concluded the work done during the initial phase. The project final review meeting (71 kb) held on 20-22 May 1998 evaluated sub-project I and II positively, while at the same time recommended strengthening the comparability of data and methodologies through a network. It was agreed that the establishment of a sub-regional data center would coordinate comparability of monitoring equipment, analytic methods, calibration practices, sampling methods and presentation and analysis of data.
The SOM-4 (1998) endorsed four follow-up projects and requested the UNESCAP secretariat to seek funding support for their implementation:
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Pollution Reduction in Coal-fired Power Plants; |
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Environmental Monitoring, Data Collection Comparability and Analysis; |
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Efficiency Improvement of Electrostatic Precipitators in Existing Power Plants; |
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Demonstration of Dry Sorbent Duct Injection FGD Technology. |
In 1999, the ADB started to fund some of the follow-up activities. The financial package, entitled Regional Technical Assistance for Trans-boundary Environmental Cooperation in North-East Asia, included a USD 350,000 grant by the Bank consisting of three components. In response to the request made by the SOM-6 in Seoul in 2000, the three components were named:
Project I: Pollution reduction in coal-fire power plants
Carried out under the project were training courses and on-site demonstrations to boost the efficiency of coal fired power plants and effectively decrease the cost of air pollutant emissions. The training aimed to enhance the capacity of participants in the operation and maintenance of coal-fired power plants as well as equipment upgrades and retrofits. As a result of one of the recommendations in the project reviewing meeting held in May 1998, the North-East Asian Training Center for Pollution Reduction in Coal-fired Power Plants' was established at the Korean Electric Power Research Institute (KEPRI) in Daejeon, ROK in 2001. A two year work plan (127 kb) for the training activities under the project was developed and finalized in October 2001. The training programme included training curricula, manuals, and materials for on-site training demonstration. Meanwhile hands-on-equipment was developed and two training workshops were organized.
The first training course (108 kb) was done following the completion of The North-East Asian Training Center Manual for Pollution Reduction in Coal-Fired Power Plants, on 10-21, December, 2001 in Daejeon ROK.
The second training course (12 kb) on pollution reduction in coal-fired power plants in North-East Asia, with six participants from China and Mongolia, was conducted at KEPRI on 3-16 December 2002 as part of the work plan. The training programme covered topics on coal testing and combustion, boiler and turbine technology, new technology and practices on pollution control, power plant O&M, performance management, and relevant policies and regulations. Representatives from Mongolia and the China rated the quality of the training sessions highly.
A comprehensive report and a proposal for strengthening the training programme was developed by KEPRI in March 2003- Final Report of the North-East Asian Training Center for Pollution Reduction in Coal-fired Power Plants ?and was submitted to the SOM-9, held on 2-4 March 2004 in Moscow, the Russian Federation. The SOM-9 acknowledged with appreciation the success of the training programme, highly recommended its continuation and underlined the importance to broaden the scope of the programme to include all NEASPEC member countries.
Project II: Environmental monitoring, data collection, comparability and analysis
The second project consisted of the following activities: a) collecting and managing background information of participating countries; b) developing compatible analytical and data processing methods; c) analyzing present and predicting future regional environmental conditions; and d) facilitating the exchange of available information.
To facilitate active involvement of participating countries in the development of a regional network for environmental monitoring, the North-East Asian Center for Environmental Data and Training (NEACEDT) was established at the National Institute for Environment Research (NIER) of the ROK in 2001.
A regional network on environmental monitoring, data collection, comparability and analysis was established under the guidance of the Task Force on Air Pollutant Emission financially and technically supported by the Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan and Japan Environmental Technology Association (JETA). Two expert group meetings, i.e. ‘Expert Group Meeting on Capacity Building of Air Pollutant Emission Monitoring in North-East Asia' and ‘Expert Meeting on Capacity Building and Data Intercomparability for Ambient Air Quality Monitoring in North-East Asia' (41 kb) were held respectively on 13-15 March 2002 in Yokohama, Japan and on 24-26 April 2002 in Incheon, ROK to support the operationalization of the regional monitoring network. Subsequently, a report, Recommendations on Methodologies of Monitoring Air Pollution Emissions, was published and widely distributed through the NEASPEC network and a NEACEDT website was finalized.
A training workshop on Emission Monitoring and Estimation (19 kb) in North-East Asia was held, as a direct outcome of the first Expert Group Meeting held in Yokohama, Japan, in China on 26-28 February 2003, whereby more than 40 participants from China, Mongolia, ROK, Japan and the Russian Federation attended.
An on-site Assessment Workshops on Capacity Building and Data Inter-comparability for Ambient Air Quality Monitoring in North-East Asia (38 kb) was organized on 22-24 September 2003 in Mongolia, attended by 21 representatives from the China, Mongolia, Korea and Japan. An overview of Data Reporting Format (367 kb) was presented and two field trips made to a monitoring station and a thermal power plant in Ulaanbaatar.
Project III: Action plans for improving the efficiency of particulate abatement systems in existing power plants
The first On-site Assessment Workshop on Pollution Reduction in Electric Power Plants in North-East Asia (24 kb) was organized in Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China 7-9 August in 2002 attended by 12 participants from the China, Mongolia, Korea and Japan. A recommendation was made regarding the improvement of efficiency of the particulate abatement system at the Guiyang Power Plant by optimizing the entire plant operation and maximizing the electrostatic precipitator performance. The potential of coal blending to improve particulate and sulfur dioxide emission control and combustibility was also explored.
The second On-site Assessment Workshops on Efficiency Improvement of Particulate Abatement Systems in Existing Power Plants (26 kb) was arranged in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on 25-27 September 2003 by UNESCAP and Mongolian Ministry of Nature and Environment. The participants made visits to Power Plant No. 3 and 4 for training purposes.
To develop the work plan for the North-East Asian Training Center for Pollution Reduction in Coal-fired Power Plant in project I, UNESCAP held consultations with the host institution, KEPRI, on how the Center can provide technical support for activities ongoing as part of project III.
Guidelines for the development of the Sub-regional Action Plan were developed and approved by the countries in North-East Asia. Stresses were laid on a long-term plan with an integrated approach to ensure overall pollution control and constructive partnerships between the plants and the environmental protection authorities. Priority was given to capacity building, which entails future workshops; UNESCAP-KEPRI training courses updated with lessons learnt in the current workshops; information on existing training opportunities; awareness raising; and information collection and dissemination via workshops and databases on available technologies.
Action plans for two specific power plants (Ulaanbaatar Power Plant #4 and Datang Taiyuan #2 Thermal Power Plant of the China) were developed under the TA (Pdf Files of Mongolia (68 kb) and China (165 kb)). A Sub-regional workshop on the Action Plans for Improvement of the Particulate Abatement Systems of Coal-fired Power Plants (27 kb) was held on 7-8 June 2004 in Beijing to review and discuss the action plans. Experts agreed that setting up national standards on emissions from coal-fired power plants was critical in developing any project to reduce emissions. It was recommended that further study on the implications of emissions at the sub-regional level was needed.
In a nutshell, the TA has been successfully implemented, notwithstanding the late start-up and delays due to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
Participants at the Terminal Review Meeting(four files) recommended the continuation of trainings in a follow-up, second phase project. They determined it would be more cost-effective and efficient to organize further training workshops in each of the participating countries rather than at KEPRI, considering the various development stages of their policies and regulations, technology and standards. The development of an institutional mechanism was also recommended for data collection, analysis and information sharing. It was also agreed that database, as a decision-support system, should be developed.
The Terminal Review Meeting put forward follow-up activities to be presented to the SOM-10 and ADB for funding.
An overall comment is that on-site assessment and training workshops with hands-on-equipment sessions are highly desirable. Nonetheless, without strengthening the national data collecting and collaboration centers, the sub-regional monitoring network cannot be sustained. There is a need to find additional funding to include experts from the Russian Federation and Democratic People's Republic of Korea to ensure sub-region-wide actions on environmental protection.
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