Jinan Eco-Energy Brings Its Green Dream to the World

By+DUAN+HAIWANG+&+HUANG+CHAO

A tide of innovation is sweep- ing across China. For three years China has led the world in patent applications， carving a foothold in modern fields like high-speed trains， machinery exports and technical standards.

Every business in the industrial sector is braving the tide， struggling for survival while contributing to the competitive market dynamic. Among these is Jinan Eco-Energy Technology Development Co.， Ltd.， a private technology company in Shandong Province. After 30 years of innovation， Eco-Energy is now the leader of Chinas waste tire and plastic pyrolysis industry， with a wellestablished reputation abroad. The company now exports to America， Europe and other Asian countries.

From Commodity Exporter to Tech Contributor

China has been the worlds workshop over the last several decades. This reputation comes at a high price in resources and environmental costs.

Niu Bin， Eco-Energys President and CEO， cherishes the Chinese dream of climbing to the top of world industrial chains and leading the world in technical innovations. “Over the past 30 years many Chinese industries have followed the technical standards of Western economies. Our dream is to change this situation， reshaping the map of global science and technology，” Niu said. He is one of many Chinese entrepreneurs committed to this mission.

Eco-Energy spends heavily on research and development. “I formerly overlooked the companys financial wing，” said Administrative Chief Wang Zhongcheng. “I couldnt understand how the company could still pay out such huge sums on research when its financial prospects were so dim. But it turns out that the company did the right thing.”

Unrelenting efforts by Eco-Energy have resulted in more than 40 domestic patents and many more abroad， which secure the companys position at the forefront of world environmental protection technologies.

Coking and dynamic sealing are two of the problems facing the waste tire and plastic pyrolysis industry. A new production line developed by Eco-Energy breaks through these bottlenecks and consequently increases the recycle rate of waste tires to nearly 100 percent. In addition， the whole production process is smoke， dust， odor and noise free. The workshop is so clean and quiet that a visiting delegation doubted that the machines were working. Their suspicions were only resolved after they were allowed to see the machinery up close.

Eco-Energys production line boasts seven major technical breakthroughs. Because it operates under atmospheric pressure， the production process incurs fewer security risks than traditional processes. A new low-temperature polymer degradation procedure reduces energy use by 10 percent， improving safety and extending the lifespan of the machinery. Constant-temperature dynamic heating enables continuous operation and produces high-quality oil and gas products. New sulfur transfer technologies reduce emissions of pollutants to the European and U.S. standards. A new catalyst enhances the quality of gas， oil and carbon products. The production lines output of fuel oil exceeds the industry average，and a unique hot sealing solution allows the line to run nonstop.

These technical advantages place Eco-Energy at the forefront of world environmental protection science and technology.

A Strong Footing in the Global Market

Following economic reforms China began building its competitiveness and brand recognition to elevate its reputation abroad. China is trying to transform its manufacturers into innovators. EcoEnergy is an example of their success.

The new production line developed by Eco-Energy has been exported across the world， with buyers in the U.S.， Europe， South America and Asia. For the first time， China is exporting environmental protection machinery to developed countries.

As its reputation grows， more foreign clients are visiting Eco-Energy factories. Representatives of a Brazilian company visited Eco-Energy after seeing several competitors express interest. After closely inspecting the production line， they commented， “Its awesome. You solved complicated technical problems via simple methods and realized a safe， environmentally friendly and continuous operation. A major problem facing the global industry has been resolved. This is just what we are looking for.” They ordered three lines.

A Thai company learned about EcoEnergy through the Thai embassy in Beijing. After visiting Shandong， the CEO and chief engineer signed a contract for a production line with 40，000-ton production capacity.

Other clients include German companies， known for rigorous and demanding requirements. After extensive research， Eco-Energy stands out in comparison with other suppliers of waste tire and plastic recycling machinery.

Recycling Protects the Environment

Environmental awareness is growing worldwide. In China governments at all levels have implemented new policies and initiated campaigns to reduce pollution and preserve nature.

Waste rubber and plastic are highly toxic and hazardous to the environment. As the number of motor vehicles soars， used tires and discarded waste are causing worldwide concern. There are more than three billion used tires worldwide， increasing by one billion every year. The number in China is expected to exceed 20 million tons by 2020. Waste plastic is growing at an even more alarming rate.

Conventionally， waste tires are used as landfill， burnt for fuel， or recycled into rubber， all of which incur high costs and environmental damage. Some countries have even dumped tens of thousands of used tires into the sea， resulting in explosive coral growth and massive destruction of sea life. The world needs a better solution for waste rubber and plastic.

Technology holds the key to turning waste into useful resources. The production line developed by Eco-Energy offers a one-stop solution to the waste issue. It can daily eliminate dozens or hundreds of tons of waste tires， rubber， and plastic， turning them into fuel oil， carbon black and iron wires with limited pollution.

At present production rates it takes six tons of petroleum to produce a ton of high-quality tires. In 2012 China discarded 283 million tires， weighing around 10.18 million tons including 3.6 million tons of rubber， equivalent to six years output of natural rubber by China. A full recycle of waste tires can save a tremendous amount of resources.

Niu Bin， a Dream Chaser

Eco-Energy began researching plastic pyrolysis in 1988. Niu Bin， the founder， launched his business in 1984 and opened Chinas first plastic pyrolysis plant in 1988. Business was brisk until five years later， when the government shut it down in a campaign to eradicate small， polluting chemical operations.

“I loved this cause， and didnt want to give up，” Niu says. But he understood that outdated technologies and operations were doomed to be wiped out as the industry developed. To survive， his factory had to revolutionize itself.

Niu was given five days notice of the shutdown. To cut losses， he asked his staff to run machines at full steam to process as much raw material as possible. In his haste he accidentally discovered iron wires in the byproducts， which he traced back to waste tires. Niu then realized that there were unexploited business opportunities. He reopened the factory in a new location， adopted green technology， and launched independent research on continuous， automatic， emissions-free manufacturing， a novel idea at the time. These early endeavors laid a solid foundation for its later technological advantages in the industry.

At the helm of Eco-Energy， Niu Bin is a firm believer that “science and technology are the core drivers for business growth.” The company invests huge sums of money and time in research and development， and conducts extensive cooperation with top Chinese universities like Tsinghua， Nankai， and Qingdao University of Science and Technology.

While some businesses aspire to solicit external investment， Niu lays greater store on introducing advanced management practices and high-caliber technicians. He tries to build a family ambience at the company， offering timely help to every employee in need. At the 30th anniversary celebration， his staff presented him with a Special Contribution Award in thanks.

His career in environmental protection has reshaped Nius attitudes towards life and society. “People at my age have more understanding of life. Someone who is struggling for daily subsistence has little to contribute to public welfare or the development of an industry. But someone with a certain success can think less about money and more about social responsibilities，” he explained.

Niu Bin is working hard to advance innovation in China and build a better world via science and technology. It will be a long journey， but Eco-Energy is making steady headway. It is preparing for a public listing abroad.

For the moment Niu Bin is most concerned about finding a successor who will lead the company to greater development. “Then I can bow out，” Niu chuckled.