Our reporter Ding Ming, Zhang Honghe, Jia Lijun, An Lumeng
Rare earth is known as the "universal soil" and is widely used in new energy, new materials, aerospace, electronic information and other fields.
Up to now, it has been listed as a "key mineral" by many countries.
▲The Baiyun Obo Mine taken on August 19th.
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Beihe
Production first, export first, application first... my country's rare earth industry has two major advantages in resources and market.
In recent years, my country has worked hard to promote the high-quality development of the rare earth industry by strengthening resource protection and building an innovative system.
At the same time, chaos such as private digging and illegal mining and smuggling of "black mines" still exist, affecting the value of rare earth resources.
Baiyun Obo Mine, located in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is recognized as the largest rare earth mine in the world.
Due to the long-term ambiguity of the family, the "disruption" of basic research, and the "vicious competition" of transactions, the Bayan Obo rare earth mine has been mined as iron ore for a long time, the core technology has been "stuck" and the price of rare earths has deviated from the true value.
Experts suggest that the Baiyun Obo mine should be found out as soon as possible, make up for the shortcomings of basic research, establish a unified national trading platform, strive to build a rare earth power, and promote high-quality development.
Has been mined as iron ore for more than 60 years
Rare earth is an important strategic resource as well as a non-renewable resource.
The United States, Japan and other developed countries have also included rare earths as strategic mineral resources.
The Baiyun Obo Mine in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is the only mine in the world that contains 17 rare earth elements at the same time.
However, this mine has been mined as iron ore for more than 60 years.
Yang Zhanfeng, vice chairman of the Chinese Rare Earth Society and director of the State Key Laboratory of Baiyun Obo Rare Earth Resources Research and Comprehensive Utilization, said that the current data on the rare earth reserves of the Baiyun Obo Mine adopted by the industry is still the evaluation result of the 1950s.
Due to the demand for iron ore and exploration methods at that time, the entire deposit was not fully explored, and detailed exploration was not done on the periphery of the iron ore body and 500 meters below the surface.
Fan Hongrui, a researcher at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that at first the ore body was thought to be an inverted bowl shape. Later, the ore body was thought to be like a big iron pot. It stretches down like a "big board", I don't know how deep it is.
Fan Hongrui believes that the rare earths in Bayan Obo are actually not only currently generally believed to account for 83.7% of my country's reserves, but it may exceed the world's current proven reserves of 120 million tons."
The huge reserves of light rare earths in Bayan Obo Mine are the consensus of the industry, but heavy rare earths cannot be ignored.
"Although the proportion of Baiyun Obo medium and heavy rare earths is very low, because of its high total rare earth content and large total reserves, the total amount of medium and heavy rare earths is still at the million-ton level." said Zhao Dianqing, chairman of North Rare Earth Group.
In addition, the Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology Baiyun Obo Mine Rare Earth and Niobium Resource Efficient Utilization Laboratory has found that the contents of niobium and thorium, which are important raw materials for the nuclear industry, are currently ranked second in the world.
Many experts said that due to historical reasons, the mining of the Baiyun Obo Mine is relatively extensive, and other mineral resources contained in the iron ore have entered the tailings reservoir along with the beneficiation waste residue and wastewater, and have not been effectively used.
At the beginning of the mining of the Baiyun Obo Mine, there was a dispute over the positioning of "mainly iron" or "mainly rare earth".
"At that time, the research level of rare earths was limited, and the country was in urgent need of steel, so in 1965 the policy of'mainly iron, comprehensive utilization' was determined." Yang Zhanfeng said.
However, since the Baiyun Obo Iron Mine was officially put into operation in 1957, 63 years have passed since then, which has long exceeded the 50-year design limit for iron ore mining.
At present, it has entered deep open-pit mining, the mining cost is getting higher and higher, the economic value is declining, and the production capacity is declining.
The industry believes that after more than 60 years of mining, the historical mission of Baiyun Obo Iron Mine has come to an end.
The Baotou Iron and Steel Group, which has developed by relying on the Baiyun Obo Mine, is also seeking strategic transformation.
"Since 2016, Baotou Steel has implemented a strategic transformation focusing on rare earths, and the scale of the rare earth industry has continued to expand. In 2019, the operating income of rare earths reached 18 billion yuan." The main person in charge of Baotou Steel Group said that for more than 60 years, Baotou Steel's destiny has always been The construction and development of the Republic are connected. At the beginning of New China, steel was urgently needed. Baotou Iron & Steel was born as one of the first steel companies. Now that the domestic steel production capacity has been surplus, Baotou Iron & Steel should also actively transform and find a new historical mission.
Yang Zhanfeng and others believe that with the expiration of the iron ore mining period, Baiyun Obo Mine should be repositioned and re-understood, and Baotou Steel's transformation and upgrading into a world-class rare earth industry leader and the world's best rare earth steel production base.
"We can no longer mine as iron." An interviewed expert said frankly, "The Baiyun Obo Mine is a unique treasure given to us by God. Under the background of the world’s unprecedented emphasis on strategic minerals, it is necessary for the country to organize a team of experts to reopen Baiyun Obo mine’s geological exploration research, to find out the background, reposition its mineral value, and enhance the strategic position of Baiyun Obo mine resources."
"With the successive discoveries of new rare earth deposits worldwide and deep-sea potential rare earth resources, my country's existing rare earth resource advantages are facing severe challenges." Yang Zhanfeng said, it is urgent to find out the precise background of the Baiyun Obo deposit, such as rare earth, niobium and other strategic mineral resources , To provide a scientific basis for the country to formulate long-term strategic policies.
Chi Jianyi, director of the Baotou Rare Earth R&D Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and others suggested that, based on the mineral resources of Baiyun Obo, formulate a national development plan for the utilization and application of rare earth resources, treat heavy rare earths and light rare earths differently, and treat heavy rare earth resources as national strategic resources. Light rare earth resources operate in accordance with the law of market supply and demand to ensure the balanced development of national strategic needs and the downstream application market of rare earths.
Yang Zhanfeng and others suggested that relying on the “big project, large project” of Baiyun Obo mineral resources, a demonstration industry for comprehensive recycling and utilization of useful components such as 100,000-ton rare earth extraction and processing, 10,000-ton niobium metal smelting, etc., will be established to make the world-class Baoshan——Baiyun Ebo Mine better serves the national strategy.
Lack of talents restricts my country's rare earth technology research and development
"For every six new technological inventions in the world today, one is inseparable from rare earths." Fan Hongrui said.
The reporter found that my country's rare earth research and development, especially the basic research level, has "disrupted files" to varying degrees, and core technologies have been "stuck". For many years, it has been difficult to get rid of "digging and selling soil" and selling rare earths at "cabbage prices." Awkward.
"The fundamental reason lies in the backwardness of research and development, especially basic research, which few people care about, and a large number of core technology patents are purchased from abroad." Chi Jianyi said frankly.
Li Wei, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said that my country currently supplies 90% of the world’s rare earths and produces 70% of the world’s rare earth magnetic materials. “However, most patents are in the hands of Japanese and American companies, and export products have to pay patent fees to others. Production Many of the rare earth material components in China do not know where people live."
In the view of Yang Zhanfeng and others, the overall research level of rare earths in my country is about 20 years away from that of foreign countries. Many aspects only know the reason, but do not know why.
The scientific research team led by Academician Xu Guangxian, the rare earth cascade extraction theoretical process developed in the 1970s, is my country’s rare international leading technology in the field of rare earths. It is with this advantage that my country has seized the commanding heights in rare earth separation.
After that, my country did not make great achievements in the research and development of rare earth technology.
According to Yang Zhanfeng, until early 2020, my country will establish the Rare Earth Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Ganzhou, Jiangxi.
At present, there are no rare earth majors in major universities, and there are only metallurgical engineering majors in Central South University and Northeastern University.
Lack of talents has become a bottleneck in my country's rare earth technology research and development.
At present, among the more than 20 academicians related to rare earth research across the country, almost none specialize in rare earth research.
There is a State Key Laboratory of Baiyun Obo Rare Earth Resources Research and Comprehensive Utilization in Baotou City, Inner Mongolia. It has only 13 personnel, 11 of whom are experts temporarily hired from outside.
Chi Jianyi and others believe that due to the lack of talents and scattered power, it is difficult for my country to cooperate on a unified rare earth research topic, and it is even more difficult to form a common rare earth theoretical research result. This makes my country's rare earth basic research incoherent and weak core technology research and development. Grab the commanding heights.
Mr. Xu Guangxian, known as the "Father of Rare Earths", once said that the current human knowledge of rare earths is less than one-four thousandths, and there is huge room for exploration.
"Now we are like'steaming steamed buns', we only know that we put'alkali noodles', but don't know what the chemical reaction is behind it." Yang Zhanfeng said that the lag in basic research restricts technology research and development and industrial applications. Interdisciplinary with multiple disciplines to overcome the internal mechanism of rare earth elements.
This kind of "burning money", time-consuming and laborious work requires the top national research team to complete.
Experts suggest that rare earth majors should be established in universities with a certain foundation to train follow-up talents; at the same time, the Ministry of Science and Technology can lead the establishment of a national rare earth comprehensive research institute in Baotou City, Inner Mongolia where rare earth scientific research strength, facilities and equipment are concentrated.
They believe that newly established institutes must not follow the old path. They must innovate systems and mechanisms to create a national platform for rare earth research and application with the participation of industry, academia, research, government, and enterprises, so that rare earths can play a role in the national economy.
The illegal mining and selling of "black rare earths" continues to be repeatedly banned
The Baotou Rare Earth Products Exchange (abbreviated as "Baotou Rare Exchange"), located on Huanghe Street in Baotou City, is a domestic rare earth exchange that "marks prices clearly.
The reporter saw here that the trading volume and prices of various rare earth products scrolled in real time on the big screen, showing the rare earth series index and price trends.
Li Zhenhong, chairman of Baotou Rare Exchange, said with emotion that most of the transactions of domestic rare earth companies are completed through negotiations between the two parties, and the real transaction price is like "wrestling the wrist in a sleeve"-only they know it.
The person in charge of a domestic rare earth production company said frankly that the company has always adopted the traditional trading method, and the rare earth pricing is determined by the company's leaders in an internal meeting, "it is to rely on low-price competition to maintain its market share."
The reporter's investigation found that the six major domestic rare earth groups and their affiliated companies are still fighting each other in the sales link, with traditional trading methods, opaque transaction prices, and chaotic competition within the industry.
"Foreign buyers are all big buyers, and we are hundreds of companies that disperse external sales. Foreign buyers buy in large quantities when prices are low, and when prices rise, they stop purchasing and use inventory, forcing domestic companies to lower prices and sell." Li Zhenhong Say.
"Black rare earth" trading is another chaos in the rare earth market.
Although the state has continued to rectify and crack down on "black rare earths" in recent years, the "black rare earths" pirated and sold under the guise of waste recycling and imported rare earths have been repeatedly prohibited.
In 2019, the national rare earth mining quota was controlled at 132,000 tons, but the actual output greatly exceeded.
According to industry estimates, more than half of the rare earths currently circulating in the market have “black rare earths” from unknown sources and outside the mandatory production plan, leading to oversupply and exacerbating the low-price export of rare earths.
Data show that in recent years, the gross profit margin of the six major rare earth groups in China has also declined significantly.
Among them, the sales gross profit margin of Northern Rare Earth Group dropped from the highest 72.8% in 2011 to about 10% in 2019.
my country is the world's largest producer, exporter, and consumer of rare earths. It has two dominant positions in rare earth resources and the market, but it has not obtained the corresponding rare earth pricing power.
"One of the reasons is that there is no unified national rare earth product trading market and the lack of an objective price formation mechanism." Li Zhenhong said.
In fact, as early as May 2011, under the guidance of relevant state departments, Inner Mongolia approved the establishment of the Baotou Rare Earth Products Exchange, consisting of 13 key rare earth enterprises and institutions including Northern Rare Earths, Chinalco Rare Earths, Minmetals Rare Earths, and the State Reserve Center. The joint capital formation was regarded as a key move for China's rare earth industry to seek international pricing power.
Since then, domestic platforms have successively established Hunan Southern Rare and Precious Metals Exchange and Jiangxi Ganzhou Rare Metal Exchange.
However, 9 years later, domestic rare earth trading is still "two skins" online and offline.
At present, the settlement volume of rare earth companies nationwide on public trading platforms is minimal.
In 2019, the actual settlement volume of Baotou Rare Exchange was only 1.33 billion yuan, and the settlement volume was only 3 thousand tons.
Li Zhenhong analyzed that in addition to the immature trading mechanism of its own, the low level of the platform, the contradiction between commanded production and market-oriented trading, etc. are superimposed, which severely restricts the role of the rare earth trading platform.
On the one hand, the design space of the trading system is insufficient.
Since 2011, my country has enacted many restrictive measures against non-national exchanges. Several major trading platforms such as Baotou Rare Exchange are all provincial-level trading platforms, and it is difficult for them to serve the rare earth industry.
On the other hand, industry customer participation is not high.
A number of downstream rare earth application companies reflect that the production of rare earth products is planned management, while downstream applications are market-oriented behaviors, resulting in uncoordinated planning management and market behavior.
Rare earths, like gold and oil, are national strategic resources, and there should be exchanges established by the state just like gold and oil.
Industry insiders and experts suggest that a national-level unified trading platform must be established as soon as possible to avoid "zone fighting for itself", form a fair, open and just rare earth pricing mechanism, and firmly control the pricing power of rare earths in their own hands.
Industry experts believe that a unified national-level trading platform can adjust market supply and demand through commercial purchasing and storage, achieve stable supply, controllable mining and sales, and establish an export traceability mechanism to solve the problem of industry tax evasion, block "black rare earth" transactions, and avoid Rare earths sell at a "cabbage price."
Baotou Mayor Zhao Jiangtao said that an open and transparent national unified market can not only rationalize the industry through the price formation mechanism, but also become the starting point for the implementation of national strategies and industrial policies.
Chi Jianyi and others pointed out that the reserves of light rare earths with more market applications are not low, and with the commissioning of foreign rare earth companies in Australia, the United States, Vietnam and other foreign rare earth companies, a diversified global supply pattern has gradually formed, and the open competition of light rare earths has become impossible. avoid.
Therefore, my country's rare earth control policies cannot be indiscriminately important, and light rare earths should be released in due course, heavy rare earths should be controlled, and light rare earths trading should be promoted to enter an open and transparent market trading platform.