Recently, the Metallurgical Mines’ Association of China published the Decision on Naming and Commending the 8th ‘Top Ten Factories and Mines’ and ‘Top Ten Factory and Mine Managers’ in the Metallurgical Mining Industry. At the 8th Metallurgical Mining Industry Awards, Shougang Mining’s Dashihe Iron Mine was honored as one of the “Top Ten Factories and Mines” among mineral separation enterprises, while Xingshan Iron Mine was recognized as one of the “Top Ten Factories and Mines” among underground mining enterprises. Yan Shangmin, Manager of Dashihe Iron Mine, and Kang Jichun, Manager of Xingshan Iron Mine, were also included in the “Top Ten Factory and Mine Managers”.

Dashihe Iron Mine serves as a crucial iron concentrate powder production base for Shougang Mining. Since 2018, it has established two new construction material production lines in Erma and Peizhuang, leveraging solid waste resources from waste dumps to produce green building materials. With the focus on constructing a new pattern of high-quality coordinated development between the main mining industry and comprehensive resource utilization industry, Dashihe Iron Mine has continuously deepened the economic operation management of mineral separation, promoted the efficiency of comprehensive resource utilization, and shifted towards higher efficiency, resilience, and sustainability in development quality. By optimizing production organization, the actual production and sales of concentrate powder exceeded the plan in 2023. It has also continuously advanced the construction of a green building material demonstration base, obtaining certifications for four management systems, namely quality, environment, energy, and occupational health and safety (QESN), as well as green production and transportation evaluations with the Peizhuang Ecological Restoration Project as a pilot. In 2020 and 2021, it was successively awarded the titles of “Beijing Green Building Sand and Gravel Base” and “Large Green Base in China’s Sand and Gravel Industry”, becoming a green building material demonstration base with strong industry influence in Northern China.

Xingshan Iron Mine, Shougang’s first underground mine, aims to become a domestic first-class intelligent underground mine. In recent years, relying on Shougang Mining’s sound and comprehensive management system, it has continuously explored the laws of production organization and improved its capability in underground mining technologies. It insists on making technological innovation its primary competitive force, with numerous technological and management innovation achievements such as “Key Technologies and Applications for Efficient Blasting in Recovery and Tunneling of Large Underground Mines” reaching leading levels in China and the industry. By expanding the remote control and intelligent operation of individual mining equipment, it has achieved the remote surface control of 1,354 medium-deep hole jumbo drills and 1,400E scrapers, realizing large-scale application in the industry in China. It has also built a green mine by planting over 2.3 million various seedlings, living up to its title of “Garden-style Unit” in Tangshan City and earning a place in the list of green mines in Hebei Province.

Implementing the “Flag Gathering” project in Party building, Shougang has created the Party building brand of “Flag Leadership, Strength in Underground Mining”. It has cultivated talents through implementing the “Cuiying Project”, and two employees have been named “Learning Stars of Beijing Citizens”. Shougang has actively participated in the National Vocational Skills Competition for the Metallurgical Mining Industry, at which three individuals won championships and five individuals were honored as “National Technical Experts”. Li Wenming Innovation Studio has been recognized as the “Demonstration Innovation Studio in the Machinery, Metallurgy, and Building Materials Industry across China”. Shougang’s achievements in underground mining culture have been successively awarded as typical cases of “Outstanding Achievements in Building Material Enterprise Culture” and typical experience of the “Decade of Enterprise Culture in the New Era”.

Yan Shangmin, currently Mine Manager of Dashihe Iron Mine, has over 30 years of experience in the mining sector. He has united and led staff and cadres to scientifically plan and precisely implement strategies intended to advance the development of the three major business segments, namely “mineral products as the primary industry, comprehensive resource utilization, and guaranteed hydropower and concentrate supply”, thereby revitalizing Dashihe Iron Mine’s operational growth. He has actively promoted intelligent mine construction, continuously enhanced the economic efficiency of mineral processing, and solidified the foundations for survival and development. In 2023, the crushing efficiency surpassed the plan by 31.4 tons per hour and the output per hour of the ball mills exceeded the plan by 1.2 tons. Carrying forward the pioneering spirit, he has focused on building a demonstration base for comprehensive resource utilization and advancing the construction and production capacity enhancement of Dashihe Iron Mine’s Iron Ore Magnetic Separation Project and Peizhuang Ecological Restoration and Control Project. Both building material production lines have achieved record-high performance, resulting in the establishment of a 10-million-ton green building material demonstration base. Additionally, he has fulfilled the company’s social responsibility by implementing ecological restoration and control plans, promoting greening and beautification within the mine, establishing and perfecting an environmental management system, and achieving green development.

Kang Jichun, currently Mine Manager of Xingshan Iron Mine, exemplifies a pragmatic leadership style. He leads staff and cadres to continually promote innovation, excellence, and entrepreneurship, ushering in a new situation of high-quality underground mining development at Xingshan. He adheres to a people-centered approach, continuously strengthens security through scientific and technological advancements, and strives to create an inherently safe underground mine. Oriented with ultimate efficiency, he has refined the underground mining production organization model, realizing a continuous, stable, and cost-effective ore supply with the main shaft achieving its best-ever hourly efficiency. Leveraging ultimate energy efficiency, he vigorously promotes cost reduction and efficiency enhancement, stimulates new management momentum, and enhances the overall competitiveness. In 2023, 17 out of 18 technical and economic indicators surpassed the levels in the previous year, 11 reached or exceeded all-time highs, and three outperformed industry peers. Driven by innovation, he has made technological innovation the primary competitive force, exploring and practicing new paths for low-carbon and green development. Technological innovation projects such as “Research and Application of Low-carbon and Efficient Mining Technologies at Xingshan Iron Mine” have won metallurgical science and technology awards. Aiming for quality improvement through management, he has strengthened the safety foundations in an all-round way, strived to reach the peak of intelligence, reshaped the management system, and established new on-site standards. By implementing the “developing enterprises by talents” strategy and innovating the talent cultivation mechanisms, he has worked to build “three qualified underground mining teams”, trained over 580 technicians and staff in positions, and selected, nurtured, and dispatched over 110 key personnel for underground mining, thereby laying a solid foundation for the smooth commissioning of underground mining projects.