Changes on "Normative Conditions for the Viscose Fiber Industry (2023 Edition)"

On Nov 13, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology publicly solicited opinions on the "Normative Conditions for the Viscose Fiber Industry (2023 Edition)". Compared to the 2017 edition, this revision pays more attention to green transformation.

In terms of enterprise layout, the ban on new VFY projects has been lifted, but it is still required to not build new conventional VSF or VFY projects and at least 20% of pulp is required to come from newly developed materials produced in China (such as bamboo pulp, hemp pulp, fungus straw pulp, and recycled pulp).

In terms of process equipment, in addition to keep encouraging the production of differential, functional, high-performance, and environmentally friendly products, customization and recycled products have been added. At the same time, the production of differential products using 100-ton small-scale pilot lines, 1,000-ton medium-scale pilot lines, and product differentiation rates of more than 90% for production lines with an annual production capacity of no more than 30kt is encouraged for technical research and product development.

There are higher requirements for water and energy consumption, where the water intake per ton of VFY drops from ≤260 tons to 230 tons, and the water intake per ton of VSF drops from ≤55 tons to 50 tons. The comprehensive energy consumption per ton of VFY drops from less than or equal to 4,400kg of standard coal to 3,200kg, and the comprehensive energy consumption per ton of VSF drops from less than or equal to 1,000kg of standard coal to 900kg.

There are also higher requirements for environmental protection, where the full sulfur recovery rate of VSF increases from ＞87% to 90%.

At the same time, a new section on carbon emissions is added.

V. Carbon Emissions

(1). Encourage viscose fiber production companies to conduct factory carbon audits, product carbon footprints, carbon labeling, and product lifecycle assessments, as well as relevant basic research and capacity building.

(2). Encourage viscose fiber production companies to develop decarbonization plans, set carbon peak and carbon neutrality targets, and regularly disclose progress.

(3). Encourage viscose fiber production companies to implement carbon reduction projects such as solar streetlights and photovoltaic panels based on the conditions of the factory area.

(4). Encourage viscose fiber production companies to adopt centralized heating, coal-to-gas, coal-to-electricity, and other engineering facilities to reduce corporate carbon emissions.

Currently, this standard is still in the process of soliciting opinions and has not yet been formally implemented. The deadline for soliciting opinions is Dec 12.