Observação econômica de Hainan: a transformação verde da aldeia Shan Hai Li

China News Service Hainan Changjiang, April 2nd (Chen Yingqing), as a traditional industrial base in western Hainan Province, “Mountain and Sea Li Township” Changjiang Li Autonomous County focuses on industries such as clean energy, aiming to solve development problems like resource depletion and environmental protection. It has carved out a new path of resource-based region’s green transformation in the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port.

Changjiang is the main producer of iron ore and cement in Hainan, and the Shiluo Iron Mine, known as “Asia’s richest iron ore,” is located here. Due to early mining and beneficiation technology limitations, about 300 million tons of tailings slag could not be efficiently utilized. Coupled with the recent depletion of local iron ore resources, traditional development models face bottlenecks.

In 2011, Changjiang was listed by the State Council as part of the third batch of “resource-depleted cities” nationwide. After being included in the Ministry of Ecology and Environment’s “Waste-Free City” construction list in 2022, Changjiang based its development on this positioning, relying on the policy guidance of Hainan’s ecological province, and introduced multiple resource recycling enterprises to promote green industrial transformation and upgrading.

A product separated from tailings slag. Photo by Chen Yingqing

“Exhausting” 300 million tons of tailings slag

At Zhixin Environmental Protection Technology ( Changjiang ) Co., Ltd., tailings slag undergoes multiple processes such as washing, crushing, and screening to become various environmentally friendly building materials.

Huang Wengui, chairman of the company, told reporters that tailings slag mainly consists of residual iron resources, tailings mud, and stones. The company uses full-chain tailings slag resource utilization technology to finely separate and fully utilize it.

According to the introduction, the separated high-grade iron ore can be sold directly; low-grade iron ore is purified and processed into iron concentrate powder, with a value of up to 700 yuan per ton; tailings mud is made into environmentally friendly bricks, dock bricks, concrete, mortar, and other building materials; stones are processed into different sizes of sand and gravel aggregates for use as raw materials in asphalt and other construction materials.

“Phase one project is designed to process 3 million tons of tailings slag annually, which will be increased to 4 million tons after technical transformation, with an annual output value of up to 280 million yuan and paying more than 20 million yuan in taxes.” Huang Wengui said that the second phase project is planned to be completed and put into operation in May this year, with an annual tailings slag processing scale reaching 10 million tons, providing over 600 jobs.

A liquefied food-grade carbon dioxide storage tank. Photo by Chen Yingqing

“Turning waste into treasure” in cement kilns

Traditional cement production emits a large amount of carbon dioxide. China Resources Cement ( Changjiang ) Co., Ltd. has demonstrated efficient capture and utilization of low-concentration flue gas CO2 from cement kilns, turning waste into treasure.

“This demonstration line uses chemical absorption of flue gas to capture CO2, producing 60,000 tons of food-grade liquid CO2 annually, including 6,000 tons of dry ice, which can be used in food preservation, welding protection, beverage production, and other fields.” Liao Yueying, deputy general manager of China Resources Cement ( Changjiang ), said that the captured CO2 can also be applied in aerated concrete mineralization, carbon-rich agriculture, and recycled aggregate carbonation in construction waste.

Liao Yueying explained that fly ash produced after domestic waste incineration is mainly disposed of by chelating landfill, but this method does not belong to resource utilization. In the long run, leachate from landfills may become a “timed bomb” harming the environment.

In response, the company is building a cement kiln co-disposal fly ash project, which can dispose of 50,000 tons of fly ash annually. Compared with traditional high-temperature melting technology, this project can save 800 kWh of electricity per ton of fly ash processed, achieving a CO2 emission reduction of 0.44 tons, making it harmless, reduced, and resourceful, and improving urban living environments." Liao Yueying said.

In addition, the company is also focusing on resource utilization of construction waste. Previously, construction waste was often stockpiled or landfilled, occupying land and risking groundwater pollution and ecological damage. The company has built a construction waste disposal site, which can process 250,000 tons of construction debris, concrete, and other waste annually.

Liao Yueying said that construction waste at the disposal site can be 100% resourcefully processed into recycled aggregate, recycled concrete, and other green building materials, with a related output value reaching 136 million yuan by 2025.

A worker organizing new environmentally friendly cement bags. Photo by Chen Yingqing

“Green export” of environmentally friendly cement bags

In Changjiang, Conch Huasheng Plastic Packaging Co., Ltd. adheres to the development concept of environmental protection, green, and intelligent growth, introducing an environmentally friendly cement bag production line. Its products are favored in overseas markets for their quality and environmental benefits.

By 2025, the company plans to sell 130 million new environmentally friendly cement bags, with 78 million exported to Indonesia, Cambodia, and other countries, achieving an industrial output value of about 146 million yuan. General Manager Wang Qiang revealed that the first quarter of this year has seen a good start, with order volume increasing by over 30% year-on-year.

The company’s environmentally friendly cement bags are made of paper-plastic composite materials, which improve sealing while ensuring better moisture resistance during transportation and storage, effectively extending the storage cycle of cement; they also abandon traditional sewing techniques, adopting hot-press sealing technology, solving the problem of cement dust leakage from packaging.

Creating a “Zero Carbon” Sci-Tech Industrial Park

Changjiang’s green transformation also includes the only nuclear power base in Hainan. Since the first phase of this nuclear power plant began operation with two units, it has provided 9 to 10 billion kWh of clean energy annually, accounting for about one-third of the province’s total electricity consumption; after the second phase and the construction of the world’s first onshore modular small nuclear reactor “Linglong No. 1,” it will inject new momentum into Hainan’s clean energy.

Relying on nuclear power advantages, Hainan ( Changjiang ) Clean Energy High-tech Industry Park focuses on clean energy, new materials, high-end manufacturing, and other fields, aiming to build a “Zero Carbon” sci-tech industrial park in Hainan Free Trade Port. Su Zhuoqi, director of the park’s economic development bureau, said that currently, the park has 143 registered enterprises, including four Fortune Global 500 companies; by 2025, the total industrial output value above designated size is expected to reach 9.67 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 2.23%, accounting for about 88% of Changjiang’s above-scale industrial output value.

This year, Changjiang clearly aims to establish a provincial and national pilot zone for “Zero Carbon” parks centered on the clean energy high-tech industry park, build a number of “photovoltaic + energy storage” distributed energy application scenarios, and create a demonstration base for diversified utilization of "nuclear + " clean energy. (End)