China's BlueStar Group announced on Monday that it has entirely eliminated toxic residues from chromium chemical production in a pioneering plant in central China.

With the Chinese Academy of Science, the company had launched the world's first pollution-free 10,000-ton chromium chemical project in Henan Province, said a company statement.

The Chromium Oxide Green clean production project was running steadily with mass production of qualified chromium oxide green, desulfurizing products and potassium chromate as semi-finished products.

The project had zero discharges of chromium residue and chromium dust.

The treatment of residues has been a problem for chromium chemicals worldwide, with even the most advanced manufacturing techniques in developed nations unable to eradicate pollution completely.

In China, the metal chromium conversion rate is only 75 percent and overall source utilization rate is less than 20 percent.

Statistics from China's chromium chemicals industry show the production of every ton of chromium chemicals results in the discharge of 2.5 tons of highly toxic residues, causing serious pollution to water, soil and air.

The chromium industrial recovery rate of BlueStar's new technology was more than 98 percent, up 20 percent from the traditional techniques, and was 8 to 9 percent higher than the world's most advanced methods.

Compared with traditional techniques, BlueStar's new project consumed 20 percent less power, and produced 80 percent less chromium residue, said the statement.

The residue could be completely used in producing ferrous desulfurizing and other high value-added products. The overall utilization ratio of resources was more than 98 percent.

Company experts said the project not only turned a high-pollution industry into a clean industry, but also realized outstanding economic profits and investment returns.

A spokesperson of BlueStar said the company's proposal for a 100,000-ton chromium chemical clean production project had been approved by the National Development and Reform Commission.

Chromium chemicals are used in light industry, leather tanning, pigment, and electroplating industries, involving about 15 percent of commercial goods. China is major producer with an annual output capacity of 318,000 tons.

(Xinhua News Agency September 24, 2007)