Yeongwol County Reviews Yeongpoong's Zero-Discharge Wastewater System...Considers Application to Tungsten Industrial Complex

Site Visit Ahead of Core Mineral Industrial Complex Launch
All Wastewater Fully Reprocessed... Up to 4,000 m³ Treated Per Day
Reviewing Know-how on Installation Costs, Operating Expenses, and On-site Operations

Yeongwol County in Gangwon Province, which is pursuing the establishment of a tungsten-based core mineral industrial complex, visited the wastewater zero-discharge system at the Yeongpoong Seokpo Smelter to review the introduction of a wastewater treatment facility within the complex.

On the 17th, officials from the Strategic Industry Division of Yeongwol County Office in Gangwon Province visited the Youngpoong Seokpo Smelter to examine the zero liquid discharge system and receive explanations. Youngpoong

On September 17, Yeongpoong announced that officials from the Strategic Industry Division of Yeongwol County Office had visited the Seokpo Smelter in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang Province, to review the wastewater zero-discharge (ZLD) technology and its operation cases. This was Yeongwol County’s second visit following last year.

Yeongwol County is working to establish a core materials industrial complex to secure a stable supply chain for tungsten—a nationally designated critical mineral—and foster related industries. The county is also considering installing a public wastewater treatment facility in the complex using a zero-discharge method.

On that day, Yeongwol County officials toured the ZLD facilities to review the background for adoption, initial investment costs, annual operating costs, and other key considerations in the operation process.

ZLD is a water treatment system that does not discharge wastewater from the refining process externally, but rather reprocesses it for reuse as process water.

The Seokpo Smelter invested approximately 47.5 billion won to build the ZLD system. Process wastewater is heated to above 100 degrees Celsius, where the resulting steam is recovered as water and reused in the process. Waste heat steam generated during the smelting process is also used as an energy source.

The facility’s maximum daily treatment capacity is 4,000㎥, and it currently treats and reuses an average of 2,000 to 2,500㎥ of process water per day. According to Yeongpoong, this reduces the annual intake of river water by about 880,000㎥.

An official at Seokpo Smelter stated, "We hope that the experiences and know-how we have accumulated in building and operating ZLD in an actual industrial setting will be helpful to other industrial sites considering similar facilities. We will continue our efforts to improve the environment to ensure a harmony between industry and the environment."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.