As one of the 50 green mining development demonstration zones released by the Ministry of Natural Resources of the PRC, Chenzhou City, central China’s Hunan Province, has been giving priority to ecology and green development for many years to promote the scientific and sustainable development of resources.

At the same time, the city has also sought to cultivate and extend advantageous industrial chains with superior resources, increased ecological restoration, and promoted the high-quality economic development and high-level ecological environment protection.

To promote the construction of green mining development demonstration zone with innovative system

As a mature resource-based city, Chenzhou has long been plagued by serious problems such as problems left over from the past, tighter constraints on resources and environment, and slow transformation between new and old kinetic energy.

According to Wang Weidong, director of Chenzhou Bureau of Natural Resources & Planning, it’s important for the city to put system construction first to solve these problems. As for the deep-seated problems of mining industry, the bureau has deepened the reform of key links in the mining industry and accelerated the green development of mining industry.

During the 13th Five-year Plan period, the city municipal committee and government incorporated the construction of green mining development demonstration zone into the 13th Five-Year Plan and Chenzhou Mineral Resources Outline (2016-2020).

At the beginning of 2020, the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee has identified Chenzhou as a reform pilot unit for “promoting mining transformation and green development”, and had high expectations for Chenzhou, the hometown of nonferrous metals.

“For Chenzhou, high-quality development of economy depends on the transformation and upgrade of mining industry.” Chenzhou’s deputy mayor Li Wuyi said that as the only prefecture-level city in the province that pilots the green development and reform of mining industry transformation, the city carried out various measures to implement comprehensive and systematic reform.

“The development and utilization level of mineral resources, requirements of ecological protection and restoration, green mine construction requirements and other aspects are clearly stipulated in the contract, which highlights the innovation and operability of reform measures,” said Xu Licheng, president of Chenzhou Mining Association.

To improve the intensive management of resources development

Known as the “treasure bowl in Southern Hunan”, Sanshiliuwan Mining Area is rich in nonferrous metal resources such as tin, lead and zinc. In the 1980s and 1990s, small mining workshops were blooming everywhere. The long-term predatory development of mining caused serious waste of resources and environmental pollution. The chaotic mining order also brought serious threats to the social security and stability of Linwu County.

“The Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee pointed out to promote the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development, so we must put mining industry on top priority for Linwu’s green development.” Li Hao, Party secretary of Linwu County, said that the county has transformed 10 legal enterprises in Sanshiliuwan Mining Area, and introduced strategic investors to establish Linwu Southern Mining Co., Ltd.

Sanshiliuwan Mining Area has seen dramatic changes after transformation. Now, you can see a modern mine in Southern Mining Industry. The Sanshiliuwan-style mining transformation has been praised by Hunan Provincial Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform and will be promoted in the province.

The resource integration of Sanshiliuwan Mining Area is only a microcosm of the transformation of Chenzhou Mining industry. Chenzhou has designated key exploration areas, restricted exploration areas, restricted mining areas and prohibited mining areas respectively. More than 50 mining enterprises with high pollution, high energy consumption and low added value have been closed down or transformed in over 30 areas with ecological and environmental protection functions.

Chenzhou adheres to developing strategic minerals such as tungsten, tin and fluorite while protecting them, and improve the development level of resources with green development concept.

“After standardizing the development order and eliminating backward production capacity, the number of mines has decreased year by year, from more than 2,000 in the initial stage of renovation to 323, and the proportion of large and medium-sized mines has increased to 32 percent.” Wang Weidong introduced that the superior resources were gathered in excellent enterprises such as strategic investors, which effectively enhanced the main force of green mining development market.

To constantly extend mining industrial chain to upstream and downstream industries

Relying on the unique advantages of silica resources, Zixing City attracted the investment of 3 billion yuan from Qibin Group, and continuously extended the downstream industrial chain of silica around the high-end glass manufacturing such as silica resource mining and selection, photovoltaic and photoelectric glass, and pharmaceutical glass, and planned to build a silica industrial park integrating the mining, selection and processing.

That resources are gradually running out with no emerging industries in time is the crux of many resource-based cities. However, while the resources are still sufficient, Chenzhou has taken precautions to accelerate the transformation of new and old kinetic energy of mining industry, innovated the development concept of mining industry, changed the past simple sales of resources to intensive processing of resources, and developed industrial advantages with advantageous resources, so as to realize the high-development of mining industry.

“We will allocate resources to those who can bring the industrial chains and give full play to the value of resources.” Wang Weidong said that the layout of the industrial chains around resources is an important step for Chenzhou to focus on the transformation and development of mining industry. This fundamentally reserved the resource management concept.

“Relying on the largest integrated fluorite mine in Asia, Sinochem Lantian Chenzhou Base has been established. It combines its own brands and technologies in fluorine chemical industry with Yizhang County’s unique fluorite resources to access the supply and industrial chains.” Cui Haifei, assistant general manager of Sinochem Lantian Chenzhou Base, introduced that Sinochem Group has invested 1.7 billion yuan in Chenzhou since 2011, and built a complete industrial chain integrating resource exploitation, deep processing, fluorine chemical industry, new materials, lithium new energy.

In recent years, Chenzhou has focused on those industries that are needed by the country and have foundation in the city. Relying on advantageous mineral resources, and led by such domestic top enterprises as China Minmetals Corporation, China National Building Material Group and Sinochem Lantian, it has built five advantageous industries, including non-ferrous metals, fluorine chemical industry, graphite new material, mineral gems, silica and decorative materials. And a new pattern of green mining industry involving industrial chains and industrial cluster has taken shape.

The high value-added mining industry economy, changed from a single mining resource economy, transformed resource advantages into industrial advantageous, and constantly extended the industrial chain downstream. The new kinetic energy led by the industrial chain is showing a strong ripple effect in Chenzhou.

To improve the level of resources utilization through technological innovation

“Through joint efforts with the Institute of Science and Technology, we have improved the tin ore flotation process and increased the metal recovery rate of tin by 5%, which can achieve economic benefits of more than 20 million yuan for the enterprise a year.” Wen Wusheng, vice general manager of Southern Mine Industry, said that the company not only improves resource utilization, but also constantly improves the recycling and comprehensive utilization of “three wastes”. “Now, the water recycling utilization rate of the company’s concentrating mill has reached 98%, and our next goal is 100%.”

As a private enterprise, Southern Mining Industry always regards technological innovation as the company’s life. Many state-owned enterprises in Chenzhou are the main force in mining technological innovation.

Statistics show that since 2010, Chenzhou’s mining output value has seen significant growth in green and technological contents, and the mining industry in the city has obtained nearly 4,300 authorized patents.

Among large and medium-sized mining enterprises, 11 major ores have achieved a standardization rate of about 95% in terms of three indexes including mining recovering rate, ore recovery rate and mining dilution rate. The proportion of digital management on mines increased from 5% to more than 30%. And the waste rocks have been considerably reduced, with the annual total dropping from 17.8 million tons to 9.2 million tons. The driving force of science and technology for the development of mining industry has been significantly enhanced, and the cost of environment, resources and safety for creating per 10,000 yuan of mining output value has been greatly reduced.  

Now, there is an innovative system with enterprises as the main body, oriented by the market and integrated with industry, university and research. Basic research, technical breakthrough and industrialization of achievements are integrated into the whole process of innovative ecological chain in the mining field.

To make people get more sense of happiness through returning green to the city

Walking into the Xihe Beach Park, Chenzhou City, you will see the park is full of green and fish swimming in the clear river. This was once one of the most polluted areas around the city. In the eyes of citizens, Xihe has become a good place for walking, exercising and daily leisure.

Chenzhou in Chinese are “郴州(chēn zhōu)”. “郴” means a city in the forest. With a series of key mine geological environment treatment projects, Chenzhou has become a real forest city.

The mining enterprises in Chenzhou continues to make efforts to meet people’s yearning for a better life and help rural revitalization, including building roads and houses for surrounding people, transforming drinking water projects and beautifying the ecological environment.

“As an important mineral resource base in Hunan Province, Chenzhou has followed a new development concept and made bold strides forward for green development of the mining industry.” Chen Songling, deputy director of Hunan Provincial Natural Resources Department, said that only by taking the road of green development can mining industry maintain high-quality development and ensure economic and social development.