The Project

The Plant

Zhangye Wastewater Treatment Plant

Situated in the middle of Gansu, Zhangye lies along the historic Silk Road and Hexi Corridor. Spanning 42,000 square kilometres from Inner Mongolia in the north to Qinghai in the south, its urban core is situated in the oasis of Ganzhou, near the Heihe or Ruo Shui River. With its streams, sunlight and fertile soil, the area is a significant agricultural hub, though it has been greatly impacted by deforestation in the nineteenth century.

The Chinese government is making an effort to restore the water ecosystem, as shown by the Ministry of Environmental Protection's report that 28% of the available surface water of the seven major rivers and 31% of key lake and reservoir water are not suitable for human consumption. Because of the pollution level, traditional methods of pollution control, such as standalone wastewater treatment plants, are usually inadequate for restoring the water ecosystem. This project is an effort to reduce pollution and improve the health of the regional river and lake ecosystems through several interconnected subprojects contracted under a single basin-wide agreement.

This project aims to reduce water pollution in the Heihe River through the introduction of expanded wastewater treatment services via integrated concessions in the western province. By facilitating a new form of public-private partnerships, environmental management, and inclusive growth, the project seeks to address climate change, environmental protection, and other strategic priorities for the region such as flood management, wetland conservation, water resources development, and protection of biodiversity. In particular, the project is in line with the sector’s focus on environmental protection and complements current initiatives in the management of water-based natural resources.

This project is in accordance with the People's Republic of China's water policy, aiming to counter the harm to water resources caused by agricultural, industrial and urban pollutants, highlighting wastewater management as a main operational focus in developing China. This project encourages water as a core investment field and raises the Asian Development Bank's water investment target to $2.0 - $2.5 billion annually by 2020, with an extra $500 million per year intended for private sector lending.

The plant location

Aerial View

Simulation of the Plant Site