On July 6th, at the achievement display session of the themed forum "Innovation-Driven Circular Economy, Green Empowerment for Ecological Civilization – Industrial Resource Recycling Aiding Ecological Civilization Construction", He Guangliang (Gordon He), Chairman of Guizhou Phosphate Chemical Group, unveiled the green transformation practice of the phosphorus chemical industry with a set of striking data: Through the resource utilization revolution across the entire industrial chain, Guizhou Phosphate Chemical Group has reduced its annual consumption of phosphate ore by 4 million tons, while its industrial output value has bucked the trend and increased by nearly 30 billion Yuan. Moreover, it has taken the lead globally in realizing the high-value utilization of phosphogypsum at the ten-million-ton level, providing a "Chinese solution" to this solid waste problem that has plagued the international chemical industry for decades.

  By subtracting resource consumption and adding industrial value, He Guangliang (Gordon He) presented Guizhou Phosphate Chemical Group's green report card over the six years since its integration:

• 2019: Consumed 18 million tons of phosphate ore, with an industrial output value of 30.5 billion Yuanand a loss of 1.68 billion Yuan;
• 2024: Phosphate ore consumption dropped to over 14 million tons, industrial output value soared to 58.37 billion Yuan, with a profit exceeding 4 billion Yuan;
• 2028 target: Phosphate oreconsumption controlled within 18 million tons, industrial output value exceeding 120 billion Yuan;

  "Creating greater value with fewer resources is precisely the core essence of the circular economy," He Guangliang (Gordon He) emphasized. Currently, Guizhou Phosphate Chemical Group is transforming millions of tons of phosphogypsum generated each year into a new growth pole through three major innovation paths.

  He Guangliang (Gordon He) introduced three major breakthroughs in solving the world-class solid waste dilemma of phosphogypsum. Firstly, the green building materials revolution. Relying on the natural Class A fire resistance and energy-saving properties of gypsum, Guizhou Phosphate Chemical Group has developed a super fire-resistant wall system (when burned at a high temperature of 1000°C for 4 hours, the internal temperature is <40°C), and the carbon emission of its cementitious material is only 1/7 of that of cement. The "1468 Project (annual phosphogypsum treatment of 1.4 million tons, sulfuric acid recovery of 600,000 tons, and cement production of 800,000 tons)" completed in 2023 achieves an annual treatment of 1.4 million tons of phosphogypsum, with simultaneous recovery of 600,000 tons of sulfuric acid and production of 800,000 tons of cement. The treatment cost per ton is 313 Yuan lower than the average market price of sulfuric acid in the same period.

  Secondly, the strategic recycling of sulfur resources. China imports more than 10 million tons of sulfur annually, 80% of which is used in the phosphorus chemical industry. Guizhou Phosphate Chemical Group has raised the sulfur recovery rate to a new height in the industry through phosphogypsum decomposition technology. "When the cost of sulfur-based sulfuric acid reaches 700 Yuan/ton, we still have a profit margin of 104 Yuan/ton; even if the price falls, technological upgrading can reduce the cost by another 200-300 Yuan," He Guangliang (Gordon He) revealed. This technology is the first in the world to achieve million-ton-level industrial application.

  Finally, the breakthrough in high-end materials. The world's largest 300,000 tons/year high-quality anhydrous gypsum production line has been built, breaking through three major technical barriers:

• First, the phosphorus content has been reduced to 0.068% (far lower than the national standard safety limit of 0.2%);
• Second, the whiteness reaches 87%, exceeding the industrial-grade standard;
• Third, the particle size is precisely controlled to 11.278 microns.

  The performance of the new packaging materials produced thereby surpasses that of polypropylene and has been applied in fields such as pipes and membrane bags. Guizhou Phosphate Chemical Group has the capacity to convert 15 million tons of phosphogypsum annually, equivalent to 20% of China's annual output.

  From a "world problem" to a "Chinese solution", He Guangliang (Gordon He) compared the international situation: "The Middle East region is still discharging into the ocean, and the United States has seen stagnant technology for many years, while China has embarked on the path of industrialization."

  He extended an invitation to global partners on site: "This industrialized device, verified at the 100,000-ton level, will provide new possibilities for mankind to solve gypsum solid waste."

  With the breakthrough of the bottleneck in turning phosphogypsum into high-value materials, the practice of Guizhou Phosphate Chemical Group is writing a solid industrial footnote to "Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets".