The mission
More than 20 Fortune Global 500 companies have settled in the Zhuhai Economic and Technological Development Zone, along with over 130 industrial companies. Due to large-scale production, the Economic Zone’s economy has seen swift and consistent growth, becoming a major contributor to the province's overall economic development.
However, the industrial development eventually impacted the nearby coastline. The creation of the Model Zero-Waste Park at the Zhuhai Economic and Technological Development Zone requires enterprises to drastically improve the quality of sewage outfall and impose stricter requirements for supporting facilities in the park. SUEZ has tailored and refined our industrial wastewater treatment solutions to preserve marine resources and protect the ecological environment. We empower the government to advance their environment protection strategy, centred on improving the quality of the ecosystem.
Our solution
A SUEZ joint venture has built and now operates Zhuhai's first centralised industrial wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The Phase I facility began operations in 2020 and was expanded in 2023, increasing its daily treatment capacity to 27,000 m3. In just five years, it has become a benchmark for industrial wastewater treatment in Zhuhai.
With the rapid economic growth of the industrial park and the increase of new production facilities, the demand for industrial wastewater treatment has risen significantly. To meet the region's development needs, the Phase II expansion project was launched. From planning and design to construction, every stage of the project was well organised and managed by SUEZ. Successfully commissioned in 2025, Phase II increased the plant’s total daily treatment capacity to 37,000 m3, setting a new milestone in the park's environmental infrastructure.
This state-of-the-art WWTP can efficiently remove a wide range of pollutants, including special contaminants and refractory organic compounds from the wastewater of new industrialists. It plays a critical role in enhancing water environment in the Greater Bay Area.
The plant's treatment process is precise. Industrial wastewater is delivered through pipelines to centralised WWTP. It is the first Chinese industrial wastewater treatment facility that features the SUEZ-patented PulsagreenTM technology in the tertiary treatment phase. This advanced technology ensures effluent discharge standards to meet criteria that are more stringent than those required for municipal wastewater.
The WWTP employs a combined physicochemical and biological treatment process, utilising graded treatment technology to achieve advanced treatment of low-concentration wastewater and high-concentration effluent. The treated water quality surpasses the Special Emission Limits outlined in China's Discharge Standard of Pollutants for Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (GB 18918). Key parameters, such as Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), are strictly controlled to ≤40 mg/L, with particular emission limits for typical pollutants like volatile phenols and sulfide. This ensures full compliance with stringent environmental standards.
The project leverages SUEZ's operational expertise across over 20 industrial parks in China. It incorporates a 24/7 smart wastewater discharge monitoring system, comprehensive categorised collection and segregated treatment mechanisms, and a specialised emergency response system to address potential environmental incidents. These measures ensure 100% treatment and compliant discharge of wastewater, including that generated during emergencies.
Through optimisation of treatment processes and the development of tailor-made solutions to fulfilled clients’ needs, the plant guarantees full compliance with wastewater treatment and discharge standards.
As of July 2025, the project team—operating with a lean workforce of just 40 staff—has achieved over 1,500 consecutive days of zero-accident operation.
The treated wastewater is primarily reused for various purposes, including as dilution water in chemical dosing systems, backwash water for process equipment, and water spray in odour control systems. In future, the plant will focus on enhancing water recycling management and advancing the application of smart water technologies.
The result
The centralised WWTP has achieved remarkable results and recognition. It has been awarded the Annual Prize from the China French Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CCIFC), receiving widespread recognition from various sectors of society.
- It has significantly improved the Park’s “soft investment environment”, supporting Zhuhai’s high-quality development within the Greater Bay Area;
- By deploying SUEZ’s leading water treatment technologies and management expertise, the plant ensures operational safety for enterprises while enabling them to maintain uninterrupted production and meet stringent environmental standards;
- The plant maintains stable control over the quality and volume of industrial wastewater, minimising required infrastructure investments and operating costs. This has established a centralized wastewater treatment model that is both efficient and easy to monitor.