"The annual output of flotation tailings in Jiaodong area is nearly 27 million tons, of which less than 50% is used for underground filling. The conditions for the occurrence of non-coal underground mine resources in the country are generally poor, the mechanized operation rate of rock drilling is less than 20%, and the mechanization of support The homework rate is less than 10%." This set of data comes from a research report written by Man Shengang, a deputy to the National People's Congress during his tenure. In the past six months, he has investigated nearly 30 companies and universities in more than 20 cities, looking for both questions and answers.

"Nearly 15 million tons of tailings in Jiaodong alone cannot be used. How much land will be occupied? This is a double waste of land and resources." The stubborn disease of the development of gold mines.

As Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Shandong Gold Group, Man Shen just made a calculation that by comprehensively utilizing one ton of tailings, he can save thousands of catties of river sand. At present, the national tailings stockpile is 19.5 billion tons, 82% of which are tailings and waste rock from iron ore, copper ore, gold ore and phosphate ore mining. The comprehensive utilization rate of domestic tailings is only 37% (the same year ratio), which is far lower than the level of 62% in developed mining countries. If it can reach the same level, it will not only form a 100 billion yuan industry, improve resource utilization, but also protect the environment. , establish an ecological virtuous cycle mechanism.

In October 2021, Man Shengang will lead nearly 100 professional and technical personnel from 4 scientific research institutes including Northeastern University and 9 enterprise units to participate in the construction of the "Joint Innovation Research Base for the Resource Utilization of Gold Tailings", concentrating superior scientific and technological resources to overcome Key technologies for resource utilization of flotation tailings and cyanide tailings, and construction of demonstration projects for ecological utilization of tailings. The scientific research team organized and carried out exploratory experiments such as flotation tailings value-added comprehensive recovery experiments, heavy media separation of construction sand, cyanide residue suspension pyrolysis and rotary kiln pyrolysis processes, etc., coarse tailings are used as high-quality construction sand, feldspar, etc. Used as ceramic raw materials, the resource utilization efficiency has been greatly improved. At present, some scientific research results have been applied in mines.

Entering 2022, Man Shengang is still on the road. Under his direct promotion, a comprehensive utilization base of tailings is being built on the shore of Bohai Bay. Today, in the mining enterprises affiliated to Shandong Gold, new technologies such as 5G, big data, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things are popularized and applied in the mines, and the traditional mining industry has embarked on the road of digital transformation and upgrading, and pictures of smart mines are slowly unfolding. (Economic Daily reporters Li Wanxiang and Wang Jinhu)