Hunan to Develop a Resourcesaving and Environmentallyfriendly Nonferrous Metals Industry

In a recent interview, Song Jianmin, Head of Hunan Provincial Nonferrous Metals Administration, noted that during the 12th fiveyear plan period Hunan will develop a resource-saving and environmentally-friendly nonferrous metals industry, and fuel "new-type industrialization, agriculture modernization,new-type urbanization and informatization".

Hunan has advantages in the nonferrous metals industry. Nonferrous metals are both a source of wealth and a cause of pollution for the province. For years, efforts have been made to conduct technological transformation and eliminate backward production capacity in a bid to save energy and reduce emissions. At the end of the 11th five-year plan period, chemical oxygen demand of main pollutants and total emission of sulfur dioxide were cut by 10.1%and 10% respectively from 2005, and arsenic and cadmium emissions fell 25% from 2005.However, due to the industry’s own characteristics and driven by interests, the industry remains a traditional energyconsuming industry with heavy pollution. Song Jinmen noted that the nonferrous metals industry should assume a historically significant role in transforming the development pattern. The fundamental approach is to revamp industrial structure and develop a resource-saving and environmentally-friendly industry.

First of all, it is necessary to improve product structure. Hunan boasts abundant nonferrous metals resources. Main products are lead and zinc, taking up some 70% in the province’s total output of nonferrous metals; copper and aluminum, which are products with high value added, account for less than 20%. In the upcoming period, Hunan should aggressively make use of its advantages in copper and aluminum deep-processing to increase the proportion of copper and aluminum deepprocessing products. At the same time, by leveraging its R&D advantages in the field of titanium, Hunan will build China’s third largest titanium production base.

According to Song, in terms of rare earth reserves, Hunan ranks fourth in China.Monazite found in rare earth is the main raw material used to separate thorium materials."This will become a bright spot in Hunan’s rare earth industry." Song Jianmin is fully confident in the prospects of the whole industry.According to him, the nonferrous metals industry will closely follow the trend of technology development, and foster new growth points, striving to make new products take up over 30% and deep-processing products more than 50%.

In the meantime, it is necessary to aggressively press ahead with technology upgrade. It is learned that in the recent two years Hunan has made leading breakthroughs in scientific research including efficient mineral processing separation technology of complex copper, lead and zinc which dramatically improves the extraction rate and recovery rate of resources.The nonferrous metals industry will further step up technological innovation and technological transformation. Each year, a minimum of 15 billion yuan will be spent on technological transformation in the industry. The rate of adoption of new equipment, new technology and new processes will exceed 40%. Efforts will be made to extend the industry chain, to put the nonferrous metals industry on the track of green, upscale and sustainable development.While supporting the expansion and enhancement of the nonferrous metals industry,Hunan will strive to make advantageous resources lean to leading enterprises, to form group management. To some extent, this can address the contradiction of homogeneous competition, and is the only approach to help the nonferrous metals industry free itself from scattered, small-scale and poor operation.

In Hunan, several demonstration zones for nonferrous metals circular economy in Yongxing, Miluo and other areas have emerged. During the 12th Five-Year Plan period, while controlling heavy metal pollution in Xiang River and eliminating 400,000-ton backward production capacity, the nonferrous metals industry will explore ways to develop circular economy with Hunan’s characteristics and nonferrous metals’ characteristics. At the end of the 12th Five-Year Plan period, Hunan aims to achieve sales revenue of more than 600 billion yuan from nonferrous metals, including 300 billion yuan from nonferrous metals recycling. By the standard of green, upscale and sustainable development, the nonferrous metals industry will truly get on the track of virtuous cycle.