In November 2021, Shandong Energy Group carried out a regional industrial integration, consolidating the former Xinmin Inner Mongolia Energy Co., Ltd. and the former Inner Mongolia Shanghaimiao Mining Co., Ltd. in the Shanghaimiao area to establish Xinmin Inner Mongolia Energy Co., Ltd. as the Group’s primary entity for investment, operations, management, and stakeholder coordination in the Shanghaimiao region. Proactively embracing the opportunities and challenges presented by the “dual carbon” strategy, Xinmin Inner Mongolia Energy has aligned itself with Shandong Energy Group’s six core business segments, guided by green and low‑carbon principles. By continuously refining its strategic pathways and harnessing smart, innovative momentum, the company is accelerating its transformation from a traditional energy player into a next‑generation energy enterprise. It is committed to building a green, efficient, and intelligent industrial cluster, forging a path of low‑carbon, high‑quality development and contributing Inner Mongolia’s strength to the Group’s mission of becoming a clean‑energy supplier and a world‑class enterprise.
　　
　　 Green mine development is hitting the “accelerator.”
　　
　　In September 2021, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region’s Conference on Promoting Green Mine Development was held in Etuoke Banner, Ordos City. Xinmin Inner Mongolia Energy Yuxing Coal Mine, as the only mine in the region practicing “green backfill mining,” presented its experience in green mine construction. Stepping into the Qipan井 Ecological Park in Etuoke Banner, one is greeted by lush greenery, vibrant vegetation, and the sweet fragrance of flowers mingled with birdsong. Local residents and workers come here to jog, exercise, relax, and enjoy the scenery, fully embodying harmony with nature. Beneath this beautiful ecological park lies the main mining area of Inner Mongolia Energy Yuxing Coal Mine.
　　
　　An ecological park that integrates coal‑mine goaf remediation, solid‑waste utilization, comprehensive reuse of underground dewatering water, ecological restoration, and landscape design is not only the “cradle” of Yuxing Coal Mine’s economic benefits but also a vivid example of Inner Mongolia Energy’s commitment to green mine development.
　　
　　The establishment of the “underground mining, above‑ground park” dual‑benefit model has been made possible by the application of new coal‑mining technologies in Inner Mongolia Energy. By strengthening science and technology innovation as its guiding principle and leveraging the Yuxing Coal Mine’s “National Filling Engineering Laboratory” R&D platform, the company founded the Continuous Mining and Continuous Filling Research Institute. This institute has undertaken targeted research on continuous mining and filling processes, independently developing a “five‑no, one‑all” mining approach: “coal is extracted without exposing coal, gangue is disposed of without exposing gangue, wastewater is not discharged externally, solid waste is fully backfilled, the surface remains undisturbed, and the environment is preserved.” Under this system, the working face has achieved an impressive monthly output of 75,000 tonnes, further enhancing Inner Mongolia Energy’s reputation for green, efficient, and backfill‑based mining. In 2017, Inner Mongolia Energy’s “Full‑Negative‑Pressure Continuous Mining and Continuous Filling Stepwise Replacement Method for Three‑Under Coal Mining” was accepted by the National Intellectual Property Administration as an invention patent, and Yuxing Coal Mine was awarded the title of “High‑Tech Enterprise,” resulting in annual cost reductions and exemptions totaling over RMB 20 million.
　　
　　“We have consistently upheld the development philosophy that ‘lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,’ continuously innovating and refining our backfilling mining techniques. While safeguarding the ecological environment, we have generated significant economic benefits. We will promptly summarize and disseminate our experience, striving to establish Yuxing Coal Mine as a world-class backfilling mine,” said Wei Ligang, head of Yuxing Coal Mine under Inner Mongolia Energy.
　　
　　At present, all mines in the Shanghaimiao area of Inner Mongolia Energy meet the criteria for green mining. Leveraging innovation-driven development, the company is accelerating the implementation of scientific and technological advances. Through a series of measures—including the construction of intelligent longwalls, the upgrading of tunneling equipment, and innovations in the “110 Method” for retaining roadways—the group has successfully unlocked high‑efficiency production capacity for premium coal. The Inner Mongolia base is now shouldering the critical responsibility of ensuring stable supplies of thermal coal, serving as a new pillar for the energy group’s expansion beyond its home province.
　　
　　 Clean chemical industry development enters the “fast lane”
　　
　　In February this year, the Hengkun Chemical Plant in Inner Mongolia was unexpectedly visited by white egrets—national second‑level protected animals. These birds not only circled above the plant’s premises but also landed by the scenic lake, leisurely strolling to forage and preening while playing in the water. Renowned as “monitoring birds” and “environmental‑friendly birds” that reflect air quality and water conditions, white egrets are extremely demanding about their living environment. The fact that Hengkun Chemical has won the egret population’s favor and enabled them to make their home here is a testament to the company’s unwavering commitment to environmental protection.
　　
　　In recent years, Inner Mongolia Energy has set its sights on the goals of “Smart Hengkun and Digital Chemical Industry,” focusing on system‑level energy conservation, environmental remediation, and resource recycling. By vigorously advancing comprehensive environmental management across its facilities, the company is accelerating the chemical industry’s transition to green, low‑carbon, and high‑efficiency development.
　　
　　Adhering to the high‑quality development philosophy of “ecological priority and green growth,” the company has vigorously implemented a wastewater capacity‑expansion project, continuously enhancing its wastewater treatment capabilities. By adding new pretreatment, biochemical treatment, and quench‑water treatment systems and upgrading the existing biochemical treatment facilities, the plant has increased its wastewater treatment capacity from 50 m³/h to 108 m³/h, fully meeting the water needs of desulfurization waste liquor, desulfurization–denitrification waste liquor, and the dry quenching process, thereby achieving zero liquid discharge. Meanwhile, the company has upgraded and renovated its on‑site domestic wastewater treatment infrastructure, laying a network of recirculation pipelines throughout the plant to reuse all treated domestic wastewater for coke washing, mine‑area landscaping, dust suppression, and other applications. This has resulted in a 100% comprehensive utilization rate of water resources and a mid‑year reclaimed‑water reuse rate of 99%, yielding cost savings exceeding RMB 1 million.
　　
　　The company is focused on achieving the goal of winning the “Blue Sky Defense Campaign” by accelerating key environmental protection projects, including deep desulfurization, flue gas desulfurization and denitrification for coke ovens, and on‑line dust collection at the machine side. In September this year, Hengkun Chemical completed the hoisting and replacement of its LNG decarbonization absorption tower, laying a solid foundation for green, safe, and efficient operations.
　　
　　“The decarbonization absorption tower is a key piece of equipment in the LNG system, tasked with capturing and removing acidic gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide from the syngas, thereby providing qualified feed gas for downstream processes. To ensure the equipment operates safely, efficiently, and stably over long cycles while reducing maintenance and replacement costs, we have, based on actual production conditions, replaced the original carbon steel with corrosion‑resistant 304 stainless steel. This not only optimizes the equipment’s design and enhances its operational efficiency but also ensures that emissions comply with environmental regulations,” said Chen Xia, head of Hengkun Chemical.
　　
　　The enhancement of equipment performance has enabled the efficient release of chemical production capacity. Through a comprehensive desulfurization upgrade, the company has increased its self‑produced coal share to 90% of total coal consumption, with self‑use of high‑sulfur coal accounting for over 40%. This has effectively leveraged the company’s role as a cornerstone in the clean and efficient conversion and utilization of coal, thereby maximizing overall economic benefits at the Shanghai Miao mining area. In addition, Hengkun Chemical has been recognized as a “High‑Tech Enterprise,” resulting in a 10% reduction in its annual corporate income tax rate and translating the nation’s policy incentives into tangible financial gains.
　　
　　 Making the Right First Move in a Diversified Industrial Landscape
　　
　　Inner Mongolia Energy is closely aligning with Shandong Energy Group’s strategic vision of “large-scale clean energy development,” adhering to the principle of “grounded in coal, leveraging coal, extending beyond coal, and transcending coal.” The company is vigorously advancing new‑energy development, with a particular focus on photovoltaic power generation, and is comprehensively building an integrated industrial cluster characterized by coal as its foundation, coal‑power‑coal‑chemical conversion as its core pathway, new energy as a complementary component, and warehousing and logistics as its supporting infrastructure.
　　
　　Overlooking the Inner Mongolia base, a vivid panorama of harmonious development between mineral resource exploitation and the ecological environment unfolds before our eyes. While striving to bring the first phase of the Hengkun Chemical 1.3-million-ton coking‑multi‑product project to full capacity and optimal performance, the company is accelerating construction of the second phase; the initial phase has already reached 51% of its overall progress. Upon completion, the project will boast an aggregate production capacity of 3.9 million tons of coke and 500,000 tons of chemical products. Meanwhile, the Western Railway has overcome key construction bottlenecks and is now essentially ready to break ground. In the new‑energy sector, the company has secured approval for a 5.8 MW distributed photovoltaic project and is actively coordinating with local environmental and energy authorities. While building high‑standard solar power stations, it is prioritizing environmental remediation in mined-out areas, transforming the mining economy into an eco‑economy and turning “mined‑out zones” into veritable “treasure bowls.” As the industrial chain in the Inner Mongolia region continues to mature, it will steadily unleash robust profitability. (Economic Daily reporter Wang Jinhu, correspondents Wang Shibobo and Xu Jin)