China Energy’s Ecological Efforts Green Helan Mountains

In recent years, China Energy has invested a total of over 109 million yuan to the ecological construction of the 896.2-hectare Rujigou Coalfield to help restore the ecological environment of the Helan Mountains in northwest China.

A lush green scene of Rujigou Coalfield.

China Energy makes all-out efforts to promote the construction of green mines and green factories, strengthen pollution prevention and control, and accelerate low-carbon energy transformation. So far, 24 of coal mines of the group company have been listed among National Green Mines.

Following the parent company’s ecological environment construction strategy, Rujigou Anthracite Company affiliated to Ningxia Coal Industry Group under China Energy developed a five-year plan accordingly and set up a specialized task force to implement the ecological improvement program in a phased and region-specific manner. Since 2017, three mines in Rujigou Coalfield have been closed, and the environment of 19 drainage fields and slag areas has been treated. As of the end of 2019, environmental improvement had been completed for 15 mine access roads and drainage fields in and around the coalfield, covering 896.2 hectares in total.

Ningxia Coal Industry Group’s ecological improvement efforts have been recognized by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the Ningxia Helan Mountains Environmental Improvement Office. To accelerate ecological environment improvement for the western area of Hongliang, the company used helicopters to sow nine tons of seeds of drought-tolerant plants such as elm seeds, Mongolian lentils, ice plant and pine nuts in the protected area. In the spring of 2020 alone, 35,000 shrubs of nine species, including Platycladus orientalis, golden elm, and wattle, as well as 540 willow trees, were planted in the environmental management areas, offering lush green landscapes to the coalfield.

As the ecological environment of Helan Mountains improves, the long-lost blue sheep, a national second-class protected species, have returned to the mine areas in droves to graze and play.

Volunteers from Ningxia Coal Industry Group plant trees.