As an important basic raw material in the national economy, non-ferrous metals are an important force supporting economic development and the military industry of national defense, as well as a key area for building a strong manufacturing country and upgrading high-tech industries. After the founding of New China, after 70 years of development, the non-ferrous metal industry has developed from the backward predicament into the world's largest non-ferrous metal industry in production, consumption and trade. At present, an industrial system with complete categories, complete systems, huge production capacity and optimized structure has been formed. And production capacity have made important contributions to promoting China’s economic and social development and the progress of the world’s non-ferrous metal industry.

The "Fourteenth Five-Year Plan" period is the start period of my country's second 100-year struggle and new journey. It is also a critical period for the transformation of economic development mode, optimization of industrial structure, and transformation of development momentum. Facing the complicated development environment at home and abroad, scientific planning and clarification of the development ideas during the "Fourteenth Five-Year Plan" period are of great significance for promoting the high-quality development of the non-ferrous metal industry. So, after 70 years of development, what brilliant achievements has the non-ferrous metal industry achieved, and what are the difficulties and technical bottlenecks facing the current development? How can the non-ferrous industry in the new era achieve high-quality development? Our reporter interviewed Kang Yi, the former chairman of China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association.

"China Mining News": Over the past 70 years, what remarkable achievements has my country's non-ferrous metal industry made in technological innovation?

Kang Yi: After 70 years of development, the non-ferrous metal industry has achieved remarkable achievements in terms of comprehensive industrial strength. The international status of domestic non-ferrous enterprises has significantly improved. Among the world's top 500 companies in 2019, there are 8 non-ferrous companies, the world's top ten refined copper companies, China occupies 5 companies, and Jiangxi Copper ranks first; the top 10 electrolytic aluminum companies in the world, China occupies 5, of which, China Aluminum and Shandong Weiqiao ranks in the top two. Secondly, leading the overall industrial upgrading with technological innovation. Non-ferrous enterprises have achieved independent innovation on the basis of introduction, digestion and absorption through technological breakthroughs in production, education and research. Successfully developed a batch of common key technologies, and applied production, quickly achieved industrial upgrading. Since the beginning of the new century, the non-ferrous metal industry has strengthened basic research and made major technological breakthroughs in original innovation and collaborative innovation. Among them, electrolytic aluminum technology is the most significant. The 600 kA ultra-large aluminum electrolysis technology developed in recent years is the world's first and international. The self-developed 300 kA large aluminum electrolysis technology has already been exported abroad. It has built factories in Iran, India, Vietnam, Kazakhstan and other countries and achieved good results. The independently developed suspended copper smelting, oxygen bottom blowing, double bottom blowing and "two-step" copper smelting technology have reached the world's advanced level. The self-produced high-end aluminum, magnesium and titanium alloy materials have been used in aviation, automobiles, high-speed railways, etc. Significant progress has been made in replacing imports of ultra-coarse, ultra-fine, and ultra-pure homogeneous hard alloys, nuclear power zirconium hafnium materials, and other rare metal processing materials.

China Mining News: What are the new highlights of the non-ferrous metal industry in implementing green development?

Kang Yi: The non-ferrous metal industry implements the concept of green development. Do green mining in the upstream development process and build a green mine. In recent years, we have comprehensively promoted the integrated and orderly mining of “mining-concentration-filling” and “dumping-mining-reclamation”, and realized the scientific mining, harmless utilization of resources, digitization of management information and the harmonization of mining communities. . At the same time, we will vigorously promote the comprehensive utilization of low-grade and complex refractory mineral resources and the reduction, harmlessness and recycling of slag, waste water and waste gas from beneficiation and smelting, so as to achieve cleaner production and effective resource utilization. Recycling of recycled metals is an important way to control pollution in the non-ferrous metals industry. Relying on the "urban minerals" demonstration base, strengthening the comprehensive utilization of renewable resources, to save primary metal mineral resources, energy, reduce pollutant emissions, protect the environment, and make important contributions to green development. In 2019, the output of recycled copper, aluminum, lead and zinc was 3.3 million tons, 7.25 million tons, 2.37 million tons and 1.45 million tons, accounting for 33.7%, 20.7%, 40.8% and 23.3% of the production of primary metals. In recent years, non-ferrous enterprises have taken the lead in eliminating all backward production capacity, relying on scientific and technological progress, adhering to source reduction and process control, and promoting energy conservation and emission reduction in a comprehensive and continuous manner, so that the main technical and economic indicators have reached the world advanced level, and the comprehensive AC power consumption of electrolytic aluminum has reached World-class. In 2010, the comprehensive AC power consumption of electrolytic aluminum and primary aluminum nationwide was 15,480 kWh/ton; in 2019, it was reduced to 13,531 kWh/ton, a decrease of 1949 kWh/ton compared with 2010, and electricity was saved by 68.3 billion kWh. It is 669 kWh/ton lower than the world average (excluding China), and saved 23.4 billion kWh of electricity that year.

"China Mining News": What are the current bottlenecks and shortcomings in the development of non-ferrous metals industry?

Kang Yi: At present, there are mainly two outstanding problems affecting the high-quality development of the non-ferrous metal industry: First, domestic copper, aluminum, nickel, cobalt, lithium and other mineral resources are in short supply, and their dependence on foreign countries is high. The external dependence of copper is as high as 72 to 75%, and more than 80% of strategic resources such as nickel and cobalt depend on imports. Second, independent innovation capability is not strong. Some high-end products, key materials and some core technologies still rely on imports, and there is a risk of “jam neck”. Aluminum alloy strips and profiles for large aircraft, titanium alloy profiles, titanium alloy wires for aviation fasteners, high-purity refractory metal single crystal materials, and CNC hard alloys and cermet tools have obvious shortcomings. Solving these two outstanding problems as soon as possible is the top priority for achieving high-quality development of the non-ferrous metal industry.

China Mining News: What problems do you think need to be solved to achieve high-quality development of the non-ferrous metal industry during the "Fourteenth Five-Year Plan" period?

Kang Yi: During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the development of my country's non-ferrous metal industry is still in a period of strategic opportunities, and the industry's growth potential will continue to be released. At the same time, the uncertainty and challenges of the external environment have also increased significantly, the complexity of the international market environment has increased, and the domestic market demand will also change profoundly. In particular, the sudden spread of the new coronavirus pneumonia epidemic around the world cannot even consider the impact and impact on the world economy. Faced with a complex and changing external environment, the non-ferrous metal industry must accelerate the strategic shift to high-quality development. According to the strategic requirements of building a modern economic system, focusing on supply-side structural reforms, insisting on demand-oriented, accelerating structural optimization and upgrading, enhancing core technological innovation, and promoting the deep integration of industrial Internet, big data, artificial intelligence and non-ferrous industries, breakthrough one Approval of "clamp neck" material products and key technologies to fully achieve the development level of the non-ferrous metal industry to the middle and high-end, provide strong support for building a strong non-ferrous metal industry, and provide new momentum for the sustainable and healthy development of China's economy.

Adhere to technological innovation. To meet the major needs of national major projects and high-tech fields, and focus on the integration and application level of "high-precision and high-deficiency", organize and carry out "knock-neck" technology research and promote a batch of major key technological breakthroughs; Focus on the demand for key basic materials in high-end fields such as integrated circuits, large passenger aircrafts, marine engineering and high-tech ships, advanced rail transit, new energy vehicles, energy conservation and environmental protection, strengthen basic research, enhance original innovation, integrated innovation and collaborative innovation capabilities as soon as possible Realize mass production and application, fill domestic gaps, and solve import substitution.

Improve the ability to guarantee mineral resources. Based on the domestic market, we must increase the intensity of prospecting in key metallogenic areas and increase reserves. Accelerate the progress of prospecting surveys and prospecting predictions in key metallogenic zones such as copper, nickel, and lithium in the southwest and northwest regions, and improve the guarantee capabilities of rare earth and other strategic mineral resources. Actively carry out deep and peripheral exploration of old mines to form a batch of key mineral resource connection areas; we must also focus on the world and increase the exploration and development of overseas mineral resources. Obtain overseas mineral resources through various means such as investment mergers and acquisitions and joint investment. Focusing on copper resources in countries such as Congo (DRC), Zambia and Peru, bauxite resources in Guinea, Indonesia, Jamaica, Laos, Cambodia and other regions, and laterite nickel mines in Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea and other regions, the overall planning, Reasonable layout, long-term follow-up, orderly advance major projects in the region and improve supporting infrastructure and port construction, form a batch of internationally competitive overseas nonferrous metal production bases and industrial parks, and enhance overseas resource guarantee capabilities.

Promote industrial green development. It is necessary to strengthen the prevention and control of heavy metal pollution, ensure that pollutants are discharged to the standard, carry out the treatment of contaminated soil and abandoned land, promote the advanced treatment and recovery technology of biological preparation method of mining smelting wastewater, implement the flue gas desulfurization, denitrification and dust removal transformation projects to ensure the "three wastes" pollutants Discharge. Encourage and support the production of high value-added copper processing products using waste copper as raw materials, and improve the level of recycling of secondary resources containing copper, tungsten, zirconium, indium, germanium, gallium, rhenium and other valuable elements in the existing smelting. Establish an industrial chain system for recycling, dismantling, smelting to deep processing of waste electrical and electronic products, scrapped automobiles, and other waste and recycled resources containing non-ferrous metals to improve the level of resource utilization.

Accelerate the realization of intelligent industrial models. The goal of enterprise intelligence construction is to promote the application of cutting-edge technologies such as the Internet, big data, artificial intelligence, 5G, edge computing, and virtual reality in nonferrous mines, smelting, and processing enterprises based on the existing automation and information construction of the enterprise to realize equipment , Materials, energy and other manufacturing resource elements are digitally aggregated, networked shared and platform-based collaboration, to build a smart factory (mine) that integrates a full-process automated production line, a comprehensive integrated information management and control platform, and real-time collaborative optimization.

Expand product applications. Promote the development of industrial clusters. Explore and promote the non-ferrous metal "raw material production + terminal application" connection development model, through the upstream and downstream linkage to achieve the use of high value-added resources, and promote consumption upgrades. Build the "aluminum profiles-automotive parts-building components-household products" industrial group; "rare rare earth metals-new energy materials-new energy automotive parts-power battery materials" industrial group. Continue to promote "aluminum to save wood", "aluminum to replace steel", "aluminum to replace plastic", etc., and expand new fields of application of non-ferrous metals. To optimize resource allocation and promote the development of industrial clusters. Break through the bottleneck of the upstream and downstream industrial chain, promote the integrated development of the upstream and downstream of the non-ferrous metal industry, and improve the quality and efficiency of the overall industrial development. Promote the copper industry to follow the integrated development path of mining, smelting and processing; support the integrated development of the aluminum industry and coal, power, chemical and clean energy, and form a number of distinctive industrial clusters.

Strengthen international production capacity cooperation. Actively promote non-ferrous enterprises to focus on the shortage of domestic mineral resources, increase the development of overseas resources, and build a batch of overseas mineral resource bases with huge scale, complete varieties and complete supporting facilities through overseas mergers and acquisitions and equity investment. Give full play to the advantages of non-ferrous enterprises in international competition, especially with the help of non-ferrous smelting advanced technology, equipment, management and capital advantages, and actively expand new space for industrial development in countries and regions rich in resources and energy. Choose qualified countries and regions to lay out aluminum and copper processing enterprises in countries along the “Belt and Road”, extend the industrial chain, fill in the gaps in the countries where they are located, and contribute to the local economic and social development!

Strengthen the support of the talent team. Human resources are the first resources for high-quality development. It is necessary to train a large-scale, complete professional, reasonable structure, world-class non-ferrous metal talent team. Relying on key enterprises, colleges, universities, research institutes, industry alliances and public service platforms, we will increase the training of industry executives, professional and technical personnel, and advanced-skilled personnel. Strengthen the integration of science and education, the integration of industry and education, and the integration of schools and enterprises, and focus on training a group of professional "sophisticated craftsmen" to improve the overall quality of the industrial technical team. We must rely on large platforms, large teams, and large projects to discover, train, use, and motivate top-notch talent. Actively carry out international exchanges and cooperation, introduce high-level talents with international vision and innovative capabilities, and provide strong support for the high-quality development of the non-ferrous metal industry.