The Nanfang Nonferrous Metals Group in Hechi city did not just survived a recent environmental scrutiny by national inspectors; it has won acclaim from them for setting an example of green development for all the nation's industry players.
"I've visited and exanimated numerous companies in the past, and not too many of them are as modernized and eco-friendly as Nanfang," said Zhang Baoshun, head of the inspection team.
Established in 1996, Nanfang is a nonferrous metal enterprise that smelts and retrieves lead, zinc and antimony, and contributes greatly to Hechi's economy. It has eliminated outdated production facilities and successfully adapted to environmental mechanisms put in place in 2012 to promote industrial transformation in the region.
The group has invested 1.5 billion yuan ($229.5 million) to develop new green technologies and products. It achieved a sales revenue of 11.3 billion yuan in 2017.
"Nothing is wasted during the smelting process," said Zhou Nanfang, general manager of Nanfang Group.
The only waste produced during the smelting process, water-quenched slag, is then sold to cement factories as raw material.
Nanfang Group also spent 180 million yuan to build a wastewater treatment center with a daily treatment capacity of ability of processing 5,000 tons and over 70 million yuan to upgrade the smoke evacuation system which can now absorb the sulfur dioxide from the treated exhaust gas and make it comply with national standards.
Each smoke evacuation outlet is equipped with real time on-line monitoring equipment that allows the environmental protection department to supervise, according to Luo Qingjiao, chief of group's safety and environmental protection section.
The successful transformation of Nanfang Group is a top example of Hechi's efforts to upgrade its industrial businesses. The city's gross industrial output value above designated size reached 40.3 billion yuan in 2017, and the value added above designated size reached 15.78 billion yuan, making it top in the region for growth in multiple economic indicators.
