Ministry of Ecology and Environment: Accelerate the promotion of the transition of the polyvinyl chloride industry towards mercury-free production.
According to the information released by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment on January 26th, a relevant official from the Department of Solid Waste and Chemicals of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, when answering questions from reporters regarding the "Announcement on Issuing Control Requirements for 12 Additive-Mercury Products and the Process of Producing Polyurethane Using Additive-Mercury Catalysts", stated that China will focus on key areas such as the research and development of mercury-free catalysts, and accelerate the transformation of the polyvinyl chloride industry towards mercury-free production.
Recently, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, in collaboration with relevant departments, jointly issued the "Announcement", clearly stipulating the production and import/export control requirements for 12 types of products containing mercury, and prohibiting the use of mercury-containing catalysts in the production of polyurethane.
On November 3, 2023, the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (referred to as the "Convention") adopted the "Decision No. 5/4 of the Fifth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury: Amendments to Annexes A and B of the Convention" (referred to as the "Amendment"). Relevant officials stated that with the official entry into force of the Amendment, the scope of control under the Convention over mercury-added products and mercury-using processes has been further expanded, and the requirements have become increasingly strict. For example, the deadline for phasing out the mercury process used in the production of polyvinyl chloride by the calcium carbide method has become the core focus of negotiations at several recent meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention.
As the largest user of the electrolytic calcium carbide method for polyvinyl chloride production worldwide, China's transition to mercury-free in the related industries has always received high attention from the international community. This responsible official emphasized that currently, China has successfully achieved the goal of reducing the mercury usage per unit product in the polyvinyl chloride industry by half by 2020 compared to 2010, achieving phased results. However, breakthroughs are still needed in the field of mercury-free catalyst technology and economic feasibility as soon as possible.
The responsible official stated that in the next step, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will further enhance coordination and collaboration with relevant departments, focus on key areas such as the research and development of mercury-free catalysts, increase policy support and technological innovation guidance, accelerate the transformation of the polyvinyl chloride industry towards mercury-free, ensure the full and efficient fulfillment of all obligations stipulated in the Convention, and continuously demonstrate China's role as a responsible major country in global environmental governance.
