On February 7th, Serbia Zijin Copper launched the comprehensive environmental treatment project of the Bor River. Improvements are expected in the safe operation of tailings pond and openpit after the project is completed. The ecological environment of natural water system in the Bor River and the lower reaches of the Timok River will also be improved, which will bring great benefits to ecological environmental protection and the society at large.
These three rivers all belong to the same water system. The Krivelj River is an upper tributary of the Bor River which flows down into the Timok River. The project will build a sewage reservoir to collect, treat and recycle municipal sewage, and divert the relatively uncontaminated Krivelj River to the historically polluted Bor River. A new clear water reservoir and a sightseeing corridor in the lower reaches of Bor River will also be built to tailor-made a tourism and leisure area, the so-called “one river and two banks” for Bor citizens and neighboring villages, together branding Bor with an ecological reputation for “Green Mine, Beautiful City”.
Located in eastern Serbia, Bor has always been known as a typical resource-based city. Since 1903 when copper mining firstly became commercial, Bor has embarked on the development fast-track. However, lacking advance technical equipment and sound management, Bor mine was once on the verge of bankruptcy and was in debt with serious environmental issues. In December 2018, Zijin signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Serbian government, which marks the beginning of earthshaking changes in Bor Copper Mine in just a few months. As remarked by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Zijin has given this cross-century mine “a new life”. “Zijin project is a model of Serbian investment…I will express my respect and thanks to the Chinese government with the best wording.”
Zijin’s Bor Copper Mine insists on building a “garden mine” and carrys out vigorous rehabilitation. The afforestation of all tailings ponds, openpits and some abandoned waste dump slopes are also completed. Overall, it has planted over 60,000 seedlings, adding another 350,000 square meters of green space. The mine has taken on a brand new look. The project also takes multiple initiatives to reduce and control dust, solid waste, waste water and waste gas, which has seen remarkable results, Market Screener reports.
