In the heart of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Chaka Salt Lake glistens under the sunlight like scattered gold. It is one of China’s most important soluble potassium-magnesium salt deposits and also the main operational base of Zangge Mining. Amid the global drive for carbon neutrality and sustainable development, Zangge Mining has adopted the ESG concept as its guiding principle, deeply embedding green development, social responsibility, and compliance governance into its corporate strategy. The company demonstrates responsibility in balancing resource development with ecological protection and sets industry benchmarks through technological innovation and shared value practices. In 2024, Zangge Mining delivered outstanding ESG performance, providing a practical model for sustainable development in resource-based enterprises.

Recently, S&P Global released the “Sustainable Development Yearbook (China Edition) 2025,” where over 1,600 companies competed fiercely. Ultimately, 164 companies were selected, with Zangge Mining earning a spot on the “Best Industry Progress” list, becoming the sole representative from the chemical industry on this ranking.

Turning Brine into Vital Resources: The Symbiotic Philosophy of a Plateau Mining Company

In the past, the Chaka Salt Lake mining area appeared barren due to years of extraction. Through land leveling, backfilling subsidence areas, and road renovation in production workshops, the ecological environment has been greatly improved. This transformation is a microcosm of Zangge Mining’s green mine construction and a vivid testament to its ESG practices. In 2024, Zangge Mining invested special funds for mine environmental restoration, revitalizing 145.04 square kilometers of mining land. To explore sustainable resource development and ecological restoration models, the company signed a research cooperation agreement with Qinghai University to study the effects of ridge-film and non-woven fabric covering on vegetation restoration in saline-alkali land in the Qaidam region, promoting ecological quality improvement across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

As a resource development company rooted in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Zangge Mining regards environmental protection as its lifeline, adhering to the principle of “develop while protecting, protect while developing” and building a full-chain green development system.

In the plateau’s Gobi desert, water conservation is a fundamental ethical principle. In 2024, Zangge Mining continued to promote comprehensive resource utilization, reducing environmental impact from the source. Notably, water reuse achieved significant results: total water withdrawal decreased by 20.7% year-on-year, the water recycling rate reached 77.45%, and industrial wastewater was fully recycled, achieving zero discharge.

Facing the challenges of climate change, Zangge Mining optimized its technological pathways based on ecological requirements, applying green production technologies and circular economy principles to achieve clean production goals. Through processes such as old brine reuse and tail-liquid recovery, the company maintained a 100% comprehensive utilization rate for liquid waste in 2024, with resource extraction, ore concentration, and overall recovery rates remaining at domestic leading levels. Regarding co-produced resources, Zangge Mining, together with partner companies, researched comprehensive utilization technologies for bromine and iodine, using a “special adsorbent for iodine + oxidative adsorption for bromine” process to enhance extraction efficiency from deep brine and promote the formation of a diversified industrial chain.

In 2024, Zangge Lithium achieved national-level green factory certification, becoming an industry benchmark for green manufacturing. Zangge Potash invested 12.0438 million yuan in equipment upgrades, which is projected to save approximately 490 tons of standard coal equivalent per year in energy consumption, generating economic benefits of about 1.7 million yuan annually. Last year, Zangge Mining conducted its first Scope 3 carbon emission assessment and purchased 266,725.21 MWh of green electricity, equivalent to reducing CO2 emissions by 54,600 tons.

In 2024, Zangge Mining’s ESG performance received widespread recognition: its Hang Seng Sustainability Index rating improved from BB to BB+, and its S&P Global CSA score entered the top 25% within the industry. Behind this rating improvement is the company’s commitment to transparency, a key factor in earning public trust. Zangge Mining’s Board Secretary Li Ruixue stated, “Investors are increasingly focused on ‘data with warmth,’ such as how we advance environmentally friendly production, maintain compliant operations, and ensure local communities share in development outcomes.”

In promoting innovation and clean production, digital intelligence has become a key force for improving operational efficiency and sustainability, gradually becoming central to industrial transformation. Focusing on high-end and intelligent solutions, Zangge Mining actively explores mining technology research and application, enhancing smart infrastructure and green, safe production standards. Zangge Potash received an A-level project management certification for its “Integration of Informatization and Industrialization” system, laying a solid foundation for new industrialization. Zangge Lithium upgraded its control systems, aiming to achieve black-screen management and unmanned operation, while digitally monitoring raw material, water, and electricity consumption in phases through integrated software solutions.

In the lithium workshop, Zhu Hongwei closely monitored the data on the central control screen. Having specialized in salt lake development for many years, he now leads a team of technical experts in advancing innovative processes. “During the electrodialysis system upgrade, the nanofiltration workshop implemented innovative process designs and equipment upgrades, such as adding ORP oxidation-reduction potential detection and modifying nanofiltration membranes, successfully addressing membrane oxidation issues in the lithium chloride extraction system and reducing equipment corrosion risks.” In 2024, Zangge Lithium automated 20 series across five adsorption workshop zones, with six series successfully integrated.

The eastern section of Chaka Salt Lake has lithium ion concentrations of only around 50 mg/L, representing the minimum industrial grade for brine lithium extraction, and even drops to borderline levels in winter. Zhu Hongwei participated in developing a “one-step” process for producing battery-grade lithium carbonate from ultra-low concentration lithium brine, employing key technologies such as continuous adsorption, multi-stage membrane refinement, and deep resin purification, overcoming a world-class challenge. In 2024, this technology was recognized by the Expert Committee of the Qinghai Provincial Department of Science and Technology as reaching international leading standards and was awarded the Second Prize of the Qinghai Science and Technology Progress Award and the Third International Zero Carbon Festival “Outstanding Green Innovation Award.”

Through years of deep industry engagement and continuous technological innovation, Zangge Mining has transitioned from industry follower to standard-setter. In 2024, the national standard “Brine Lithium Carbonate” in which Zangge participated was officially implemented. Leveraging products that meet international standards, Zangge Lithium has become the designated supplier for multiple battery manufacturers.

A company’s value lies not only in generating economic returns but also in building symbiotic relationships with employees, communities, and society. Guided by the principle of “serving and giving back to society,” Zangge Mining’s social responsibility spans community education, rural revitalization, and public welfare. In rural development, the company donated 200,000 yuan to strengthen the “Qi Hong Station” project in Chana Village, stimulating local economic innovation. The “Yixing Hongguang” public welfare project has cumulatively donated over 4 million yuan, supporting students from impoverished rural areas across Qinghai’s Huangnan Prefecture, Golmud City, Tianjun County, and Yunnan’s Yuxi City to complete their education, and improving school facilities, benefiting over 1,900 people and promoting rural education. On January 7, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Dingri County, Shigatse, Tibet. Zangge Mining promptly initiated its emergency response, donating 5 million yuan through the Qinghai Red Cross for relief and reconstruction. Overseas, the company’s Laos project steadily increased local employment, exemplifying its social responsibility along the Belt and Road.

Regarding shareholder returns, Zangge Mining actively implements the “dual improvement in quality and returns” initiative, enhancing investor satisfaction through dividends and share buybacks. By February of this year, the company repurchased and canceled 10.21 million shares at a total cost of approximately 300 million yuan, reaching the maximum target amount. Since 2022, Zangge Mining has paid dividends for three consecutive years, totaling 7.4 billion yuan. Additionally, the company launched a new employee stock ownership plan and provided performance growth guidance for the next three years, demonstrating confidence in long-term high-quality development.

Corporate governance moving from formal compliance to substantive effectiveness is the foundation for long-term sustainability. In 2024, Zangge Mining invested 19.2734 million yuan in safety production, conducted a special “legal health check” to identify and rectify compliance risks, revised the “Risk Assessment Management Measures,” and recorded zero major compliance incidents throughout the year. Zangge Lithium achieved seven consecutive years without major safety accidents. The company received over ten honors, including the “2024 China Manufacturing Listed Company Social Responsibility Five-Star Gold Award,” the “ESG Model Enterprise Outstanding Green Innovation Award,” the “Golden Dawn Social Responsibility Award,” and the “Special Contribution Award for Public Welfare.”

In January this year, Zijin Mining announced the acquisition of a 24.82% stake in Zangge Mining for 13.7 billion yuan, gaining control. Its international resource integration capabilities and ESG management experience are expected to empower Zangge Mining significantly. Zijin Mining has innovatively developed a “five-ring ore flow integration” mining engineering management model, coordinating geological exploration, mining, ore dressing, metallurgy, and environmental protection in a full-process approach, becoming a powerful tool in global competition. The comprehensive strategic synergy between Zangge Mining and its new shareholder holds promising potential in resource reserves, management efficiency, and governance.

From the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to the Belt and Road, Zangge Mining vividly demonstrates the essence of sustainable development from the dimensions of symbiosis, shared prosperity, and co-governance, balancing resource extraction, environmental protection, and social value. At the 4,300-meter-altitude Mami Co Salt Lake in Tibet, Zangge Lithium’s technical experts are promoting technology at Tibet Ali Mami Co Mining Development Co., highlighting the innovative DNA of Zangge’s resource development blueprint. Looking ahead, Zangge Mining Chairman Xiao Ning stated that the company will continue pursuing its vision of “becoming a world-class mining group,” leveraging technology for ecological protection, implementing safer and greener production methods, deepening community integration, and enhancing corporate governance to further strengthen core competitiveness and intrinsic sustainable development capabilities, contributing the wisdom and strength of a Chinese mining company to global sustainable development.