The tailings dump “Visoki planiri”, which dominates in Bor, as well as Lake “Robule” will soon be green! This business was not an integral part of the Zijin Strategic Partnership Agreement with the Government of Serbia, as it is a parcel, that is the historical heritage of the former RTB Bor, but Serbia Zijin Copper recently signed a tripartite contract with the Bor Institute for Mining and Metallurgy and the city, in order, to complete it as soon as possible.
Since Zijin arrived in Serbia, total investments in Bor and Majdanpek have quadrupled the price at which the Chinese company capitalized on the mining and metallurgical combined and implemented a strategic partnership with Serbia. In the technical reconstruction and expansion of four mines and smelters in Bor, as well as in numerous environmental safety and protection projects, Serbia Zijin Copper invested $1.320 million and $60 million in three and a half years, respectively, more than it was obliged to do by the end of 2024. Year. The Zijin Strategic Partnership Agreement, let’s remember, was in December 2018. obliged to invest $1.260 million in improving production, increasing efficiency, opening new mines, and significantly increasing productivity over the next six years.
Following the path of green and sustainable development, in the area of ecology, Serbia Zijin Copper has invested $161million in environmental protection alone by April this year, and by the end of 2022, Serbia Zijin Copper has invested $161million in environmental protection alone. will invest another $50 million. Systems have been put into operation: for collecting and deforestation of smoke gases from the smelter (August 2021), for the purification of acidic wastewater from the mine “Jama” and “Novo Cerovo” (October 2021), for wastewater purification from Majdanpek ” Severni revir” (November 2021), as well as for wastewater treatment from Lake “Robule” (October 2021). Water quality monitoring equipment in Borska and the Pek River was installed in December last year and the system was put on probation. By April this year, 110,000 cubic meters of wastewater had been purified, 727,000 square meters of degraded land had been greened and 170,000 seedlings planted.
But that’s not all because the biggest environmental venture is yet to come. The Visoki planiri, which dominates the city, as well as Lake Robule will soon be green! This business was not an integral part of the Zijin Strategic Partnership Agreement with the Government of Serbia, as it is parcels that are the historical heritage of the former RTB Bor, but Serbia Zijin Copper recently signed a tripartite contract with the Bor Institute for Mining and Metallurgy and the city in order to complete it as soon as possible. After the wastewater, like the decades-long problem of accumulation in Lake Robule, is completely cleansed and the lake dries out, the company will bury the surface with a cover from a nearby dump and then turn green.
With the same motive, Serbia Zijin Copper signed an agreement with the Institute for Mining and Metallurgy in Bor on the greening of “Visoki planiri”. Borska Scientific and Research Institution, which is the holder of the rights over this vast parcel owned by the State of Serbia, has given the company consent to implement greening there as well, thus preventing the resuscitation and/or resurgence of dust particles.
In order to protect the environment and health of the citizens of Bor and the environment, since under the influence of the wind from “Visoki planiri” there is a re-emission and detection of increased concentrations of heavy metals in the air, Serbia Zijin Copper will, after disposing of a healthy layer of soil on the whole surface, form a grass cover and thus significantly reduce the emission of dust.
Serbia Zijin Copper also solves inherited problems in the area of waterway protection, so it implements new technologies and allocates large funds for the procurement, installation and functioning of the systems that would enable it.
When it comes to the Majdanpek Copper Mine, the development of a technical mining project and the installation of water purification plants from the “Severni” and “Južni revir” mines, constant monitoring of the quality of surface waters, i.e. network water monitoring system in the Pek River, construction of a laundromat for heavy vehicles with a closed system and installation of separators for oil-water are only some of the projects Regular practice of cleaning old and newly constructed plants and depositors has been established, launderettes have been built at the exit gates of the mine, a recycling system has been introduced at the Filtraža plant, all to prevent the closed circulation of water flows, and in addition to regularly clearing the riverbed of Mali Pek, not only in the mine zone.
The purification of mining waters from the pits is based on an indoor system, without any discharge of harmful substances, which allows the previously neutralized water from the “Severni revir” to be pumped into the pool for technological water and distributed to the flotilla drive, and the water from the Južni revir is pumped to the technical water pool in the flotation.
The introduction of an online system for monitoring the water quality of the Pek River is a concrete contribution to the implementation of Zijin Group’s basic preferences in the area of environmental protection and enables continuous monitoring of the contents of zinc, copper, arsenic, manganese, as well as data on the pH value of the Pek River downstream from the mine zone. Now the contents of solid particles and metal ions in the waters of the Pek River are significantly lower than three years ago, and water quality has improved significantly. and bring other amenities.
Fully committed to environmental protection, Serbia Zijin Copper company tries to protect all waterways from the impact of mining activities, thus reducing the possibility of atmospheric waters from the mine zone by building a network of sediments and water supply.
Do also remind that Serbia Zijin Copper has done everything to comply with all the requirements and recommendations of the competent inspection authorities, as well as the positions of the profession, to prevent a recurrence of adverse occurrences and negative impacts on the quality of the environment.
Not long ago, Zijin Copper promised concerned citizens in Majdanpek that the Koma hill above their city would not be demolished in search of copper and gold, but that it planned to build a green park there, like botanical gardens that adorn mines owned by a Chinese corporation around the world. This promise was first implemented by the company’s hydroponic surfaces on the Majdanpek land “Severni revir” and the belt around the transport system and the new fleet there. The method will green 22 hectares of degraded land in Majdanpek, and the project will then continue by greening the flat areas for which the terrain is largely prepared, as well as by bringing in flowers, foliage and trees.
Hectares of degraded land around Bor will be “cured” in the same way. The hydroset will be performed in the zone of transport system and primary crushing of the “Veliki Krivelj” mine, then in the belt around the “Novo Cerovo” mine and along the access road to the lime mine in “Zagrađe”. The fertile layer of soil and greening of the outer slopes of the barren slopes closest to the village of Oštrelj near Bor is also underway, which is an effective solution to the problem of dust in the area of the poaching barren area. The six-hectare dam there was covered with soil and planted with grass last year, and 3,000 seedlings were planted. The plan is also to then plant dams 1 and 2, as well as part of the dry area of the “beach” of flotation barren no.1 seeded grass, and the area of green space will exceed 20 hectares.
Photos: Serbia Zijin Copper