CHENGDU, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- At the industrial park of the leading Chinese liquor maker Wuliangye in Yibin city, southwestern province of Sichuan, a newly built wastewater treatment plant has been recently put into operation.

On a large smart monitoring screen at the plant, critical operational data lights up in real time, tracking everything from incoming water quality and processing status to energy usage.

"The AI-powered smart water management system enables fully automated and precise control across the entire treatment process," said Zhou Yongkui, chief engineer of Wuliangye Environmental Protection Industry Co., Ltd., calling the system another step in the industry's commitment to the country's green development drive.

Wuliangye, literally meaning Five Grains Liquid, is one of China's most famous baijiu (grain-based distilled spirits) brands, with a history dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). In the Hurun China Food Industry Top 100 List 2025, Wuliangye ranked second with a value of 570 billion yuan (about 81 billion U.S. dollars).

Like other baijiu, its production is deeply intertwined with the natural environment. Each stage of the process, from growing ingredients such as sorghum, rice and corn to fermentation and maturation, relies fundamentally on pristine soil, water sources and air.

Although the brewing industry is not typically considered highly polluting, its heavy reliance on fossil fuels results in substantial carbon emissions. The production process can also lead to environmental issues, including solid waste accumulation, water pollution and soil degradation.

In 2024, China's baijiu industry comprised 989 large-scale enterprises. Their combined annual output of 4.145 million kiloliters represented more than 10 percent of global liquor production.

The upper reaches of the Yangtze River, where Wuliangye is located, have been known since ancient times as a birthplace of fine liquor, thanks to its unique climate, water, and soil, but they are also environmentally fragile.

"The wastewater treatment plant also utilizes an electron beam irradiation advanced oxidation device to treat the wastewater. Compared with conventional processes, this technology is more efficient and significantly reduces chemical use," Zhou said.

With an investment of around 1 billion yuan, the wastewater treatment plant can treat 23,000 cubic meters of wastewater daily and generate 50 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. This results in an annual reduction of approximately 9,635 tonnes of standard coal and about 30,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

"The electricity turned from wastewater not only fully meets the plant's own power demand but also allows surplus power to be fed into the grid," Zhou said.

Near the wastewater treatment plant lies a 23,000-square-meter ecological wetland where reeds and reed bamboo sway gently in the wind, providing a habitat for rare birds such as common moorhens and little egrets.

After the distilled wastewater is treated to meet standards, it undergoes further purification through the wetland's ecological filters, including quartz sand and volcanic rock, as well as the synergistic action of aquatic plants. Only then is it finally discharged or used to replenish the local river's ecological water, according to the energy and environmental protection department at Wuliangye Group Co., Ltd.

Built with an investment of over 77 million yuan, the wetland reduces chemical oxygen demand (COD) emissions by approximately 420 tonnes and total phosphorus by about 4 tonnes annually, while supplying over 4 million cubic meters of water to the nearby Songgong River.

Meanwhile, the company has been upgrading technology and processes through measures such as reducing fossil fuel use, switching from coal to gas, and from gas to electricity. It is also developing two cogeneration projects to process distillers' grains, aiming to address grain waste disposal and reduce fossil fuel dependence.

Over the past decades, China has placed strong emphasis on green transition, and it is steadily advancing toward its dual carbon goals of peaking carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.

The recently unveiled recommendations for formulating the next five-year plan for national economic and social development also call for concerted efforts to cut carbon emissions, reduce pollution and pursue green development.

Besides Wuliangye, other liquor makers have joined the country's green efforts. Shui Jing Fang, another famous baijiu brand based in Sichuan, released a report earlier this year outlining its carbon reduction targets for 2030, vowing to cut at least 60,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in cumulative direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions. To achieve the goals, the company has implemented a full lifecycle low-carbon transformation, reducing its carbon footprint through sustainable sourcing, energy-efficient production, and the adoption of renewable energy.

"Without a healthy ecosystem, we cannot make good liquor," said Zhou. "For a distillery, green development is not a choice; it's the only path forward." ■