At 9:20 on May 27, the first copper cathode plate slowly rolled off the production line of the cathode stripping machine in the electrolysis plant of Minmetals Copper (Hunan) Company Limited. It was produced from copper concentrate after smelting in the bottom-blown converter, converting, refining in the anode furnace and electrolysis. Luminously shiny and regular in surface, the copper cathode plate contained 99.9935% of copper, marking that the Gold-copper Project of Minmetals Copper (Hunan) Company Limited was officially put into operation.

The Gold-copper Project is the first investment project of Minmetals in Hunan Province following its restructuring of Hunan Nonferrous Metals Corporation Limited (HNM), and also a major project in Hunan Province. Fully invested by Minmetals, the project involves a total of RMB 3.0 billion in investment, including RMB 2.089 billion in construction investment. The project was approved by the Department of Environmental Impact Assessment of the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People's Republic of China at its meeting on February 6, 2013 and its groundbreaking ceremony successfully held on August 26; the construction of the core works was officially started in October 2014; batch commissioning was conducted on January 7, 2016; the bottom-blown converter was officially put into operation on May 7, 2016; the first piece of anode plate was produced on May 14, 2016; anode plates were produced in quantities on May 16, which contained 99.96% of copper; the anode plates were put in the tank on May 20 and copper cathodes were produced on May 27.

As one of the major projects for heavy metal pollution control in Xiangjiang River, the project has indirectly promoted the shutdown of local polluting enterprises, leaving a greater environmental capacity for Xiangjiang River in Hengyang. It has also reflected major achievements in cooperation between a central enterprise and the local government and served as a model of cooperation between a central enterprise and the local government. Specifically, this project features five highlights:

First, it is technically advanced. With Shuikoushan copper smelting, a smelting technique with independent intellectual property, copper concentrate is smelted in the oxygen-enriched bottom-blown converter. Once implemented, the project can comprehensively recover all types of valuable metal elements in the mineral aggregate. While continuously improving the recycling of resources, it can also effectively protect the natural environment.

Second, it is environmentally friendly. With an environmental investment of RMB 415 million, or 23.9% of the total construction investment, the project can properly treat waste water, waste gas, and waste residue, making it a resource-conserving, environment-friendly modern enterprise. After being treated to meet the national emission standards, wastewater is partially recycled and partially used for slow cooling circulating of hot slag, thus ensuring zero emissions; waste gas is treated through the 3+1 acid system, desulphurization and purification with dust removal equipment, leaving a particulate emission concentration lower than that prescribed by the national standard. Professional energy management agencies have been engaged for cogeneration; waste residue is separated through mineral processing. The part containing copper is further smelted in the bottom-blown converter, the part containing iron is selected as iron ore through magnetic separation and iron separation, and the tailings are transported to Hengyang Hazardous Waste Treatment for harmless treatment.

Third, it makes full use of localized core equipment, featuring a high level of automation and mechanization. The five sets of automation units in the smelting plants and electrolysis plants are all produced by domestic companies, reducing the project procurement costs, promoting the level of domestic equipment, and dramatically reducing labor intensity and labor costs.

Fourth, it features high construction quality. It has a pass rate of 100% (including 17 excellent rates), as tested twice by the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Construction Engineering Quality Supervision Station. Therefore, it is basically qualified as an outstanding project at provincial and ministerial levels.

Fifth, it enjoys a good project prospect. With strong overseas resources and trade networks supporting its copper smelting and operation, the project makes full use of sulfur gold mines and all types of intermediate materials and waste residue produced from non-ferrous metal smelting and mines of Minmetals, thus enhancing efficiency in integrated resource recycling.

The implementation of the project has filled an important process of the copper industry chain of Minmetals, copper smelting. By far, a whole industry chain has taken shape for the copper sector. In the future, the project will enter the second phase of construction. In this phase, the output of cathode copper will reach the middle level of the domestic industry, laying a foundation for the development of the copper industry of Minmetals.