Production first, export first, application first. China's rare earth industry has two advantages: resources and market. In recent years, China has vigorously promoted the high-quality development of rare earth industry by strengthening resource protection and innovation system construction. At the same time, private excavation and illegal mining? Black mine? Smuggling and other chaos still exist, affecting the value of rare earth resources.
Located in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Baiyunebo Mine is recognized as the largest rare earth mine in the world. Because of the long-term unclear family background, basic research? Broken file? , deal? Vicious competition? For other reasons, Baiyun Obo rare earth mine has long been regarded as iron ore mining, and its core technology has been? Stuck in the neck? The price of rare earth deviates from its true value.
Experts suggest that we should find out the background of Bayan Obo miners as soon as possible, fill in the shortcomings of basic research, establish a national unified trading platform, and strive to build a rare earth power and promote high-quality development.
It has been mined as iron ore for more than 60 years.
Rare earth is an important strategic resource and a non-renewable resource. Developed countries such as the United States and Japan have also listed rare earths as strategic mineral resources.
Baiyunebo Mine in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is the only mine in the world that contains 17 rare earth elements at the same time. However, this mine has been regarded as an iron ore for more than 60 years.
Yang, vice chairman of chinese society of rare earths and director of the State Key Laboratory of Research and Comprehensive Utilization of Rare Earth Resources in Baiyun Obo, said that the data of rare earth reserves currently used by the industry are still the evaluation results in the 1950s. Due to the demand for iron ore and exploration means at that time, the whole deposit was not fully explored, and no detailed exploration was carried out on the periphery of iron ore body and below 500 meters of the surface.
Fan, a researcher at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, China Academy of Sciences, said that at first, the ore body was thought to be an upside-down bowl, and later it was thought to be like a large iron pot. Now it is found that the main ore is rich in rare earths and appears as two veins? Big board? I wonder how deep it is.
Fan believes that the rare earth in Baiyun Obo actually accounts for more than 83.7% of China's reserves. May exceed the world's current proven reserves by 65.438+0.2 billion tons? .
It is recognized by the industry that the reserves of light rare earth in Baiyunebo Mine are huge, but heavy rare earth can not be ignored. ? Although the proportion of medium and heavy rare earths in Baiyun Obo is very low, the total amount of medium and heavy rare earths is still one million tons because of its high total content and large total reserves. ? Zhao Dianqing, chairman of Northern Rare Earth Group, said.
In addition, the laboratory research on efficient utilization of rare earth and niobium resources in Baiyunebo Mine of Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology found that the niobium and thorium content in Baiyunebo Mine, as an important raw material for nuclear industry, currently ranks second in the world.
Many experts said that due to historical reasons, Baiyun Obo Mine was extensively mined, and other mineral resources contained in iron ore entered the tailings pond with mineral processing waste residue and wastewater, which were not effectively utilized.
At the beginning of the mining of Baiyun Obo mine, there were? Mainly iron? Or? Mainly rare earths? The battle of positioning. ? At that time, the level of rare earth research was limited, and the country was in urgent need of steel, so it was determined to be 1965? Give priority to with iron, comprehensive utilization? Policy. ? Yang said to him.
However, it has been 63 years since 1957 was officially put into production, which has already exceeded the design life of 50 years of iron ore mining. At present, it has entered deep open-pit mining, with higher and higher mining cost, lower economic value and lower production capacity.
The insiders believe that after more than 60 years of mining, the historical mission of Baiyun Obo Iron Mine has ended. Baotou Steel Group, which developed from Baiyun Obo Mine, is also seeking strategic transformation.
Since 20 16, Baotou Steel has implemented a strategic transformation focusing on rare earths, and the scale of rare earth industry has been expanding. In 20 19 years, the operating income of rare earth reached1800 million yuan. ? The main person in charge of Baotou Steel Group said that the fate of Baotou Steel has always been linked with the construction and development of * * * and China. At the beginning of the founding of New China, steel was badly needed. Baotou Steel was born as the first batch of steel enterprises, and now the domestic steel production capacity has been surplus. Baotou Steel should also actively transform and seek a new historical mission.
Yang and others believe that with the end of the iron ore mining period, Baiyun Obo Mine should be repositioned and re-recognized to help Baotou Steel transform and upgrade into a world-class rare earth industry leader and the best rare earth steel production base in the world.
We can't use it as iron any more. ? An expert interviewed admitted that the Bayan Obo mine is a unique treasure house given to us by God. Under the background of unprecedented global attention to strategic minerals, it is necessary for the state to organize a team of experts to conduct geological exploration and research on Baiyun Obo mine again, find out the family background, reposition its mineral value and enhance the strategic position of Baiyun Obo mine resources. ?
With the discovery of new deep-sea rare earth deposits and potential rare earth resources, the existing advantages of rare earth resources in China are facing severe challenges. ? Yang said that it is urgent to find out the exact attributes of strategic mineral resources such as rare earth and niobium in the Bayan Obo deposit, so as to provide scientific basis for the country to formulate long-term strategic policies.
Chi Jianyi, director of Baotou Rare Earth R&D Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and others suggested that a national plan for the utilization and application of rare earth resources should be formulated based on the mineral resources of Baiyun Obo, and that heavy rare earth resources and light rare earth resources should be treated differently, and light rare earth resources should be operated according to the law of market supply and demand, so as to ensure the balanced development of the national strategic demand and the downstream application market of rare earth.
Yang and others suggested relying on the mineral resources of Baiyun Obo? Big project, big project? A demonstration industry of comprehensive recovery and utilization of 1 00000 tons of rare earth extraction and processing,100000 tons of niobium smelting and other useful components will be formed, so that the world-class Baoshan Bayanobo Mine can better serve the national strategy.
The lack of talents restricts the research and development of rare earth science and technology in China.
One out of every six new technological inventions in the world today is inseparable from rare earth. ? Fan said.
The reporter found that at present, China's rare earth research and development, especially the basic research level, has appeared to varying degrees? Broken file? What is the core technology? Stuck in the neck? , difficult to get rid of for many years? Dig a hole to sell soil? , rare earth sold? What is the price of cabbage? Awkward.
The fundamental reason lies in the backwardness of research and development, especially basic research, and a large number of core technology patents are purchased from abroad. ? Chi Jianyi said frankly.
Li Wei, an academician of China Academy of Engineering, said that China currently supplies 90% of the world's rare earths and produces 70% of the world's rare earth magnetic materials. Most of the patents are in the hands of Japanese and American companies, and export products have to pay patent fees to others. Many parts made of rare earth materials don't know where they are used. .
In Yang et al.' s view, the overall research level of rare earths in China is about 20 years different from that of foreign countries, and many aspects only know why, but I don't know why.
The theoretical process of rare earth cascade extraction developed by the scientific research team led by Academician Xu Guangxian in 1970s is a rare international leading technology in the field of rare earth in China, and it is precisely because of this advantage that China has seized the commanding heights in rare earth separation.
Since then, China has not made great achievements in the research and development of rare earth technology. According to Yang, until the beginning of 2020, China established the Rare Earth Institute of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Ganzhou, Jiangxi. At present, there are no rare earth majors in major universities, only metallurgical engineering majors in Central South University, Northeastern University and other universities.
The shortage of talents has become the bottleneck of rare earth science and technology research and development in China. At present, among more than 20 academicians related to rare earth research in China, few specialize in rare earth.
There is a State Key Laboratory for Research and Comprehensive Utilization of Rare Earth Resources in Baiyunebo, Baotou City, Inner Mongolia, with only 13 employees, of whom 1 1 is an expert hired temporarily from outside.
Chi Jianyi and others believe that it is difficult for China to cooperate on a unified rare earth research topic, and it is even more difficult to form the same theoretical research results on rare earths, which leads to the incoherence of basic research on rare earths in China and the weak research and development of core technologies, making it difficult to seize the commanding heights.
Known as? Father of rare earth? Mr. Xu Guangxian once said that people's understanding of rare earths is insufficient at present 1/4000, and there is a huge space for exploration.
Now we're like? Steamed steamed bread? , only know to put? Alkaline surface? I don't know what chemical reaction is behind it. ? Yang said that the lag of basic research restricts technology research and development and industrial application, and it is urgent to cross disciplines such as mathematics, physics and chemistry to overcome the internal mechanism of rare earth elements. This kind? Burning money? Time-consuming and laborious things need to be completed by the country's top scientific research team.
Experts suggest that universities with a certain foundation set up rare earth majors to train follow-up talents; At the same time, the Ministry of Science and Technology can take the lead in setting up a national-level rare earth comprehensive research institute in Baotou City, Inner Mongolia, where rare earth scientific research strength and facilities and equipment are concentrated.
In their view, the newly established research institute must not take the old road, and must innovate the system and mechanism to create a national platform for rare earth research and application involving production, learning, research, government and enterprises, so that rare earths can play a role in the national economy? Four pounds? The role of.
Stealing and selling? Black rare earth? Still repeatedly banned.
Baotou Rare Earth Products Exchange (hereinafter referred to as? Baotou Rare Exchange? ), is it a domestic rare earth? Clearly marked? Exchange.
The reporter saw here that the trading volume and price of various rare earth products are scrolled on the big screen in real time, showing the rare earth series index and price trend.
Li, chairman of Baotou Rare Earth Exchange, said with emotion that most of the transactions of domestic rare earth enterprises are completed through consultation between the two parties. What is the real transaction price? Wrist wrestling in the sleeve? Only they know.
A person in charge of a domestic rare earth production enterprise admitted that the company has always adopted traditional trade methods, and the pricing of rare earths was decided by the internal meeting of the company's leaders. Do you rely on low-price competition to maintain your market share? .
According to the reporter's investigation, the six major domestic rare earth groups and their subsidiaries are still fighting in their own way in the sales process, with traditional trade methods, opaque transaction prices and chaotic competition in the industry.
Foreign countries are big buyers, and we are hundreds of enterprises, distributing their sales to the outside world. Foreign buyers buy in large quantities at low prices, and stop purchasing and using inventory when prices rise, forcing domestic enterprises to compete to sell at reduced prices. ? Li said to him.
Black rare earth? Trading is another chaos in the rare earth market. Although the country has continued to crack down in recent years. Black rare earth? But under the guise of recycling waste products and importing rare earths, they sell them secretly? Black rare earth? Still repeatedly banned.
In 20 19, the national rare earth mining quota was controlled at132,000 tons, but the actual output greatly exceeded. According to industry estimates, among the rare earths currently circulating in the market, the source is unknown and the production is unplanned? Black rare earth? More than half, resulting in oversupply, exacerbated the phenomenon of low-cost export of rare earths.
The data shows that in recent years, the gross profit margin of sales of the six major rare earth groups in China has also dropped significantly. Among them, the gross profit margin of North Rare Earth Group decreased from the highest 72.8% of 201/kloc-0 to about 10% of 20 19.
China is the world's largest producer, exporter and consumer of rare earths, with two dominant positions in rare earth resources and market, but it has never obtained the corresponding pricing power of rare earths.
One of the reasons is that there is no unified national trading market and no objective price formation mechanism for rare earth products. ? Li said to him.
In fact, as early as May of 201year, under the guidance of the relevant state departments, Inner Mongolia approved the establishment of Baotou Rare Earth Products Exchange, which was established by three key rare earth enterprises and institutions such as North Rare Earth, Chinalco Rare Earth, Minmetals Rare Earth and National Reserve Center. At that time, this move was regarded as a key measure for China's rare earth industry to seek international pricing power. Since then, China has successively established platforms such as Hunan Southern Rare and Precious Metals Exchange and Jiangxi Ganzhou Rare and Precious Metals Exchange.
However, nine years later, domestic rare earth trading is still online and offline? Two skins? . At present, the delivery volume of rare earth enterprises in the country on public trading platforms is very small. In 20 19, the actual settlement amount of Baotou's sparse traffic was only 65.438+0.33 billion yuan, and the settlement amount was only 0.3 million tons.
Li analyzed that in addition to the immature trading mechanism itself, the low level of the platform, and the contradiction between mandatory production and market-oriented trading, the role of the rare earth trading platform was seriously restricted.
On the one hand, the design space of the trading system is insufficient. Since 20 1 1, China has imposed many restrictions on non-state-level exchanges, and several major trading platforms, such as Baotou rare exchange, are provincial-level trading platforms, so it is difficult to play their role in serving the rare earth industry.
On the other hand, the participation of industry customers is not high. Many downstream rare earth application enterprises report that the production of rare earth products is planned management, while the downstream application is market-oriented, which leads to the disharmony between planned management and market behavior.
Rare earths, like gold and oil, are national strategic resources, and there should be exchanges set up by the state like gold and oil. Industry insiders and experts suggest that a national unified trading platform must be established as soon as possible to avoid? The district is fighting for itself? Form a fair, open and just rare earth pricing mechanism and firmly control the pricing power of rare earth in your own hands.
Experts in the industry believe that the national unified trading platform can regulate market supply and demand through commercial purchasing and storage, realize stable supply and controllable sales, establish an export traceability mechanism, and solve the problem of tax evasion in the industry. Black rare earth? Trade to avoid selling rare earths? What is the price of cabbage? .
Zhao Jiangtao, Mayor of Baotou City, said that an open and transparent national unified market can not only straighten out industries through the price formation mechanism, but also become a starting point for implementing national strategies and industrial policies.