"Our future dream is to build a green cultural town that integrates tourism and the cultural characteristics of Northeast China. This is also a long-term plan for us to transition to the tourism industry before the depletion of mining resources." Yin Yuehua, chairman and general manager of Northern Shengping Mining Group in Shuangyashan City, Heilongjiang Province, recently outlined a beautiful blueprint for green mine construction to reporters from China Mining News.
Green mountains and clear waters are the environment on which humanity relies for survival, while gold and silver mountains are important guarantees for production and life; both are indispensable. How to coordinate the development of both has become a consensus among more and more mining enterprises.
A corner of the mining area.
Today, under the strong advocacy of the state, mining enterprises are adopting new concepts, new technologies, and new processes in mining. They are continuously exploring and practicing in terms of greening the mines, saving resources, and recycling. The once dusty and barren mountains are becoming a thing of the past, replaced by modern mines where mining coexists with gardens, and gold mountains accompany green mountains, truly achieving the vision of black gold underground and golden treasures above ground.
The green concept has taken root in the heart.
Walking into the office area and factory area of Northern Shengping Mining Group (hereinafter referred to as Shengping Mining), reporters saw a scene full of flowers and greenery, with gourds, purple grapes, and mountain red hanging from the branches, a dazzling sight. This makes one wonder, is it early winter?
The company's leadership attaches great importance to ecological environmental protection. Yin Yuehua stated that the natural environment is a necessary condition for our survival, but during the mining production process, some pollutants that affect the environment will inevitably be produced. In the face of these issues, whether to turn a blind eye or actively work to solve the problems, while organizing production under the premise of meeting environmental protection standards, is a major issue related to the sustainable development of the mine.
The mine's leadership has thought deeply; only by managing the environment well can the enterprise build and develop better. Environmental protection is no small matter; to create green mountains and clear waters is to create gold and silver mountains.
In recent years, Shengping Mining has organically combined ecological mining, environmental protection, and social benefits, making the continuous provision of employee happiness index an important mission of the enterprise. With a responsible attitude towards future generations, it strives to improve resource development and environmental protection levels, promoting the organic unity of production development and ecological well-being, and becoming a socially responsible enterprise.
"A gentle breeze brushes the phoenix trees, and clear waters accompany the green mountains forever." Through top-down learning and practice, the concept of green mine construction, ecological priority, and green development has already been internalized in the hearts of the mine workers.
Old appearance changed to new look, the mine becomes a garden.
Northern Shengping Mining Group was established in April 1970 and is a medium-sized coal mine with an annual production capacity of 450,000 tons. The mining area covers 36.8 square kilometers, with geological reserves of 63.96 million tons and recoverable reserves of 25.52 million tons, with a mining period of 40 years.
The company mainly produces raw coal, which has strong adhesion and is a good coking coal blend. The raw coal produced is upgraded to grade 8 and grade 9 clean coal and by-products after washing and processing. Its high calorific value and low volatile components make it more suitable for power plants, steel mills, coking plants, etc. The product advantages are prominent, and the market prospects are good, bringing substantial economic benefits to the enterprise.
Once upon a time, like most mines, this place was filled with barren hills, with only a few pitiful wild trees hanging yellow leaves, and like most people's perception of mines, not only were the miners blackened by coal, but the mines were also blackened by coal.
Now, reporters see an industrial office park transformed into a "royal garden," complete with rockeries, fountains, long corridors, and pavilions.
Staff from the Party and Mass Work Department casually picked two rosy apples from the apple tree, wiped them with their hands, and started eating, enthusiastically inviting reporters to taste their green, pollution-free products.
In the nearby chive field, freshly cut chives are neatly arranged. Assistant to the chairman, Li Yuhua, introduced that this plant not only has ornamental value but also high practical value, saving workers money on groceries when they go home to cook.
Here, there are not only these practical fruit and tree species but also the "Happiness Tree," which has a beautiful meaning and a long history. According to staff, these two trees were planted during the mine's construction period and have nearly half a century of history.
The two tree trunks, as thick as a bowl, tightly embrace each other, growing strong together, just like Shengping Mining and its employees, weathering 50 years together, never leaving each other, developing and progressing together.
Under the Happiness Tree, there is a pavilion with a pair of two-meter-long tables and benches, next to a rockery fountain, looking very pleasant.
Yin Yuehua said this is his second office. In spring and autumn, and during the summer, he always takes documents to work here. The staff have also become accustomed to it; if they can't find him in the office, the first place they think of is this location.
In the coal preparation plant with an annual output of 600,000 tons, a colorful corridor made of windmills several meters deep leads directly to the office building of the coal preparation plant. Accompanied by a gentle breeze, the windmills turn with the wind, dyeing the corridor into a rainbow bridge.
In the orchards and vegetable fields on both sides, large winter melons are hidden among the green vines, and orderly apple trees are laden with red fruits.
When people are united, barren mountains can be transformed.
Nothing is achieved overnight; it requires a gradual process, and the green mine construction of Shengping Coal Mine is no exception.
Under the leadership of chairman and general manager Yin Yuehua, the entire mine mobilizes to create a garden-style mine and build a green home as a vision, actively improving the ecological environment and office environment of the mining area, creating a beautiful, harmonious, and happy home.
The company starts from sections to units, from division of labor to individuals, following the overall work idea of greening one area, consolidating one area, rectifying one area, and optimizing one area, accelerating the promotion of green mine construction. Every year, it carries out a tree-planting activity themed on building green mines, planting ornamental flowers, grasses, and trees that are not prone to shedding leaves in green leisure squares and vacant spaces in front of houses, significantly increasing the greening coverage rate of the mining area.
In the Happiness Square, which is as large as two or three football fields, the reporter saw groups of people leisurely walking on the flat marble ground, followed by children chasing and playing; in the center of the square is a 'Fu' character made of black and red bricks, which gives a warm feeling; around the square, various trees are lush and green, and the spaces between the trees are filled with vibrant flowers like red and butterfly orchids, making it feel like being in a sea of flowers while walking on the winding path.
According to the reporter, this used to be a garbage landfill. Since the construction of the green mine, Shengping Mining has invested a lot of manpower and material resources to clear thousands of cubic meters of garbage, leveling the garbage mountain; they also spent a huge amount of money to purchase thousands of flower and tree seedlings for beautification, making the former garbage mountain disappear, replaced by a happy square that attracts surrounding villagers.
The beautiful environment relies on the efforts of all employees. Company staff often use their off-duty time to carry out cleaning and sanitation activities, eliminating sanitation and greening dead corners, restoring damaged green belts, and clearing weeds and various garbage. Although the mining production tasks are heavy, seeing this beautiful mining area environment boosts everyone's morale, and they do not feel tired.
"Every tree is a small reservoir, every tree is an oxygen bank that releases oxygen." "To get rich, plant trees first; to be healthy, you can't do without the oxygen bank, which purifies the air and is the backbone for achieving the long-term goal of building a green town in Shengping. The future Shengping Mining will be filled with towering trees."... These slogans have become the employees' catchphrases.
Over nearly 4 years, Shengping Mining has increased the greening area by 6,000 square meters based on the original greening of the mining area, bringing the total greening area to 26,000 square meters.
Intelligent equipment enhances the safety index of the enterprise.
To adapt to the new situation of coal mine development, the company began introducing new equipment such as coal mining machines and tunneling mucking machines in 2017, investing nearly 20 million yuan each year.
Now, a batch of new equipment such as central split ventilation, steel cable belt hoisting, and automatic anti-runaway devices have been introduced underground, which not only improves production efficiency and reduces workers' workload but also lays a good foundation for the safe development of the enterprise.
The company has put great effort into cultivating its talent pool. It has partnered with Heilongjiang Coal Vocational Technical College to bring the classroom to the enterprise, training the necessary talents for the coal mine in batches, phases, and specialties. At the same time, to learn the application of new equipment, employees are sent in batches to technical manufacturers for training and hands-on operation to adapt to production needs more quickly.
In terms of equipment usage, the company has added remote control devices to the coal mining machines for easier operation by workers; the production technology department has adopted a new method to install coal bins, reducing the amount of excavation in tunnels, shortening construction time, and saving 190,000 yuan in materials; the transportation area has replaced the original 11-kilowatt motor-driven roller with a new type of roller that does not require a motor, saving over 3,000 yuan in electricity costs per month for each unit, totaling over 100,000 yuan in annual savings.
By building a green mine, the company's mechanization and automation levels have improved. Due to the increase in mechanization, production has also significantly increased, from a monthly output of 10,000 tons in 2016 to a current monthly output of 40,000 tons.
In terms of water resource utilization and protection, the company's coal washing plant uses wet separation of raw coal to ensure that the coal slurry is recycled within the plant and that washing water is in a closed-loop cycle, achieving zero emissions and meeting environmental protection requirements. For the mining underground water, part of it is used for production needs, and the excess is discharged into the local Sanba Reservoir, providing convenient conditions for agricultural irrigation.
Building a green mine is a historical mission bestowed by the times, as well as the persistent pursuit and responsibility of Shengping Mining people. Nowadays, treating the ecological environment as life has become a common consensus among Shengping people. "Shengping Mining Company will keep pace with the times and further build a green mine, a smart mine, and a harmonious mine, safeguarding the common home of the mining community," said Chairman and General Manager Yin Yuehua.
Website editor: Gong Li