This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/16/world/asia/desalination-plant-beijing-china.html

The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Desalination Plant Proposed Near Beijing, Reports Say Desalination Plant Proposed Near Beijing, Reports Say
(about 1 hour later)
BEIJING — A coastal desalination plant east of Beijing could provide a large portion of the drinking water for the parched Chinese capital by 2019, the state news media quoted officials as saying on Tuesday. The reports indicated that the government and state enterprises were investing heavily in desalination projects to alleviate a dire water shortage in northern China. BEIJING — A coastal desalination plant planned for east of Beijing could provide a large portion of the drinking water for the parched Chinese capital by 2019, the state news media quoted officials as saying on Tuesday. The reports indicated that the government and state enterprises were investing heavily in desalination projects to alleviate a dire water shortage in northern China.
The reports, citing officials who spoke over the weekend and on Monday, said that the proposed plant, to be located in the city of Tangshan in Hebei Province, had already been approved by a provincial development agency. The plan is to complete construction of the plant by 2019, and for it to supply one million tons of fresh water each day, which could account for one-third of the water consumption of Beijing, a city of more than 22 million people, officials said. A headline on an article published by Global Times, a populist state-run newspaper, said, “Seawater to Supply Beijing in 2019.”The reports, citing officials who spoke over the weekend and on Monday, said that the proposed plant, to be located in the city of Tangshan in Hebei Province, had already been approved by a provincial development agency. The plan is to complete construction of the plant by 2019, and for it to supply one million tons of fresh water each day, which could account for one-third of the water consumption of Beijing, a city of more than 22 million people, officials said. A headline on an article published by Global Times, a populist state-run newspaper, said, “Seawater to Supply Beijing in 2019.”
The proposed plant would be the core of one of the biggest desalination projects in China. It is the proposed second phase of a desalination project that is run by a joint venture company, AQBEWG, formed by Aqualyng, a Norwegian company, and Beijing Enterprises Water Group, a company listed in Hong Kong that is a subsidiary of a large company owned by the Beijing government. The plant would be the core of one of the biggest desalination projects in China. It is the second phase of a desalination project that is run by a joint venture company, Aqbewg, formed by Aqualyng, a Norwegian company, and Beijing Enterprises Water Group, which is headquartered in Hong Kong and is a subsidiary of a large state-owned company .
The first phase of the project, which is about 200 miles east of Beijing, in a district of Tangshan called Caofeidian, already produces about 50,000 tons of water each day for the district’s use, officials said. The water comes from the Bohai Gulf, just off the Yellow Sea in northeast China. The first phase of the project, a plant about 200 miles east of Beijing, in a district of Tangshan called Caofeidian, already produces about 50,000 tons of water each day for the district’s use, officials said. The water comes from the Bohai Gulf, just off the Yellow Sea in northeast China.
The second, larger plant would cost an estimated $1.1 billion, and the pipelines to Beijing, which would run 270 kilometers, would cost $1.6 billion, the state media reports said. The second, larger plant would cost an estimated $1.1 billion, and the pipelines to Beijing, about 170 miles long, would cost $1.6 billion, the state media reports said.
The price for the water in Beijing would be $1.29 per ton, twice as much as the current price of tap water, the reports said.The price for the water in Beijing would be $1.29 per ton, twice as much as the current price of tap water, the reports said.
Northern China has been suffering for many years from a chronic drought, and officials in the central and local governments have been desperately searching for ways to bring drinking water to the most populated areas.Northern China has been suffering for many years from a chronic drought, and officials in the central and local governments have been desperately searching for ways to bring drinking water to the most populated areas.
The affected areas include Beijing and Tianjin, which has 12 million people. Tianjin has a $4 billion desalination plant that uses Israeli equipment and is owned by a government-run conglomerate called S.D.I.C. In 2011, that plant, called the Beijiang Power and Desalination Plant, was one of two in Tianjin and supplied a suburb with 10,000 tons of desalted water daily. It had plans to expand the amount pumped daily to 180,000 tons. The affected areas include Beijing and Tianjin, which has 12 million people. Tianjin has a $4 billion desalination plant that uses Israeli equipment and is owned by a government-run conglomerate. In 2011, that plant, the Beijiang Power and Desalination Plant, was one of two in Tianjin and supplied a suburb with 10,000 tons of desalted water daily. It plans to expand the amount pumped daily to 180,000 tons.
There have been some problems with the Beijiang project. The water, free of minerals, scrubbed rust from Tianjin’s pipes while being transported to taps in the city. As a result, it would come out brown. Project managers had a plan to fix that by adding minerals to the water.
The desalination projects are in addition to an enormous engineering feat called the North-South Water Diversion Project, which aims to transport at least six trillion gallons of water each year to northern China from the Yangtze River and its tributaries, which are in southern China. That project consists of a series of canals and dams costing an estimated $62 billion.The desalination projects are in addition to an enormous engineering feat called the North-South Water Diversion Project, which aims to transport at least six trillion gallons of water each year to northern China from the Yangtze River and its tributaries, which are in southern China. That project consists of a series of canals and dams costing an estimated $62 billion.
The eastern and middle routes have been under construction for years and have gone over budget, while a western route crossing the high and rugged Tibetan Plateau is still only in the proposal stage.The eastern and middle routes have been under construction for years and have gone over budget, while a western route crossing the high and rugged Tibetan Plateau is still only in the proposal stage.
Last December, the Chinese government announced that the first phase of the eastern route had officially begun drawing water from the Yangtze and transporting it to Dezhou, in the northeastern province of Shandong. Once finished, the eastern route would have 912 miles of canals and waterways. Pollution has been a persistent problem on that route, and officials have had to order the construction of 426 sewage treatment plants. In December, the Chinese government announced that the first phase of the eastern route had officially begun drawing water from the Yangtze and transporting it to Dezhou, in the northeastern province of Shandong. Once finished, the eastern route will have 912 miles of canals and waterways. Pollution has been a persistent problem on that route, and officials have had to order the construction of 426 sewage treatment plants.
The middle route, also beset by problems and criticized by environmental advocates, runs more than 800 miles from Hubei Province to Beijing. The plans called for the relocation of about 350,000 villagers to make way for the canal. The middle route, also beset by problems and criticized by environmental advocates, runs more than 800 miles from Hubei Province to Beijing. The plans callfor the relocation of about 350,000 villagers to make way for the canal.
Since it began operation in September 2008, an “emergency” supplement to the middle route that diverts water to Beijing from reservoirs in Hebei Province, which surrounds Beijing, has provided the Chinese capital with 1.5 billion cubic meters, or 400 billion gallons, of water, Global Times reported. Officials in Hebei, which itself has a huge water shortage, have objected to this diversion.Since it began operation in September 2008, an “emergency” supplement to the middle route that diverts water to Beijing from reservoirs in Hebei Province, which surrounds Beijing, has provided the Chinese capital with 1.5 billion cubic meters, or 400 billion gallons, of water, Global Times reported. Officials in Hebei, which itself has a huge water shortage, have objected to this diversion.