Coal prices continue to be depressed, and a supply-side reform focused on digesting excess production capacity and improving effective supply is continuing to affect the industry. In addition to the much-publicized overcapacity reduction, how many possibilities can supply-side reform of coal provide?
Coal prices continue to be depressed, and a supply-side reform focused on digesting excess production capacity and improving effective supply is continuing to affect the industry. In addition to the much-publicized overcapacity reduction, how many possibilities can supply-side reform of coal provide?
The reporter recently learned during an interview in Shuozhou, Shanxi Province, a coal base, that "coal" is turned into gold at this location, and daily necessities, handicrafts, "millennium building materials" and even cosmetic additives are developed from "cinder residue". A person in charge of an enterprise said bluntly: "Coal is full of treasures and can create infinite possibilities."
Re-understanding coal
Coal gangue is low calorific value coal produced in the coal mining process. Coal ash is the fine ash produced after burning coal. For years, these “cinder blocks” were treated as solid waste by locals, but now, people are digging out highly sought-after treasures from them.
In a laboratory in the Circulation Industrial Park in Pinglu District, Shuozhou City, Li Yajun, general manager of Shanxi Jinkun Mineral Products Co., Ltd., showed reporters several flour-like kaolin products. He said that these all come from the pile of black coal gangue outside the window. “After grinding, calcining and other processes, kaolin crystals can be as fine as 1/30 of flour particles, and are widely used in coatings, papermaking, wires and cables and other fields. ”
Even the whitening and sunscreen cosmetics commonly used by girls are indispensable for kaolin clay. "Kaolin crystals are hexagonal sheet structures that can be covered on the skin. This shape is better than the titanium dioxide used in previous cosmetics, and the cost is reduced by 80%." Li Yajun said.
Fly ash creates more possibilities. “A house can be built with all fly ash products: from the bricks, floors, doors, windows, and wall insulation panels used to build the house, to the indoor dining tables, coffee tables, cabinets, beds, to tableware, jewelry boxes, murals, etc. You can definitely bring it with you," said Hu Yong, chairman of Shanxi Runzhen New Technology Development Co., Ltd., "There is nothing you can't think of, only things you can't do."
Cui Yuansheng, director of the China Building Materials Industry Technical Information Research Institute. Said that building materials added with fly ash can reach the hardness of rock.
Need to make up for the "shortcomings" in science and technology
Currently, Shuozhou City is constantly innovating from the coal pile and developing a series of high value-added products. Product innovation “making something out of nothing” is inseparable from the support of technology.
There are more than 42 billion tons of coal at the foot of Shuozhou, which is known as the "Sea of ??Coal". However, its shortcoming is the lack of scientific and technological talents for comprehensive utilization of coal. Shi Yongjie, director of Shuozhou City's Foreign Publicity Office, said that for this purpose, the local government "borrowed wisdom" from scientific research institutes and provided free technical and service support to enterprises. In just a few years, 4 fly ash comprehensive utilization research and development centers have been built, and long-term cooperative relationships have been established with 16 domestic universities and colleges. The solid waste resource utilization research center established in cooperation with Peking University has now become a national demonstration research and development base for comprehensive utilization of fly ash technology.
Increase support for invention patents and create a good environment for innovation. Shuozhou not only incorporates patent development funds into its fiscal budget, but also establishes a patent incentive mechanism to reward outstanding patent projects that produce significant economic and social benefits.
Shuozhou City’s high-tech R&D center has obtained 13 domestic patents and 1 international patent, among which the new technology for extracting silica and alumina from fly ash has reached the international leading level.
New economic growth point
At present, the coal market is still sluggish and reform is difficult. However, after visiting a number of innovative coal-based companies, the reporter found that thanks to technological innovation, these companies have been less affected by the drop in coal prices, and their company profits have increased year after year.
Li Guosheng, head of the R&D Center of Shuozhou Solid Waste Comprehensive Utilization Industrial Park, said that fly ash can produce permeable bricks with a water permeability coefficient more than 1.5 times higher than the national standard, adapting to the "sponge city" If needed, it can also build impermeable floors for indoor decoration. "Different products cater to multi-level market needs."
Hu Yong said bluntly that a ton of coal only costs 200 to 300 yuan. Many coal companies dig out one ton and pay one ton, but the profit per ton of building materials such as doors and windows using fly ash can reach more than 11,000 yuan. "Companies Revenue has doubled for three consecutive years and is expected to reach 500 million yuan in 2016."
Shanxi Jinkun Mineral Products Co., Ltd. has also grown steadily for many years and entered the international market. In 2015, its export earnings increased by more than 20%. "This achievement is even more difficult when the entire coal market is in recession." Li Yajun said.
Gao Jun, deputy director of Shuozhou City Economic and Information Technology Commission, said that at present, the proportion of Shuozhou City’s coal comprehensive utilization industry in the industrial economy is increasing year by year. In 2015, the output value reached 12 billion yuan, accounting for 10% of the city’s total industry. With an output value of 15%, it has become a new pillar industry and economic growth point in this coal-producing city.