The 55th Anniversary of the Establishment of Gezhouba Cement

In the company, people still used to call the factory located in Jingmen, Hubei Province "old factory". The first five production lines of the cement company are located here. The foreshadowing of

history has already been laid. On March 30, 1958, Chairman Mao Zedong took the ship "Jiangxia" to inspect the Three Gorges on Yangtze River on the spot. On December 26, 1970, he made an important instruction to "approve the construction of this dam". On December 30 of the same year, the commencement ceremony of Gezhouba Water Control Project, the first dam of the Yangtze River, was solemnly held in Yichang, Hubei Province, and a magnificent engineering battle began.

At the same time, another army also took urgent action to build a "dam granary" to provide high-standard special cement for the construction of the project. Completely different

from ordinary cement, the medium and low heat cement required for dam construction has extremely strict requirements on the content of impurities such as alkali and magnesium in raw materials. First of all, high-quality limestone with high grade and large reserves is needed as a solid raw material guarantee for the production of special cement. The eyes of the builders were finally fixed in Sidaojiangou in the northwest suburb of Jingmen City, Hubei Province. There are abundant high-quality mineral resources and convenient transportation, and the products can be directly sent to the project site through the Jiaoliu Railway, which is an ideal production site. In this way, the

historical opportunity fell on Jingmen.

After four years of struggle, on March 29, 1975, Liu Zhengzhang, a fireman in the firing workshop, lit the first fire of the trial production, and the trial production was successful. However, in that era of material shortage, the fire of hope was extinguished because of the shortage of coal and electricity supply. They also implemented an unprecedented transformation plan for burning residual oil, which pioneered the use of this technology.

In 1976, at the peak of the Gezhouba Project, a large amount of cement for the No.600 Portland Dam was urgently needed, and a battle was launched. They "pass five passes and block one mouth"-raw materials, raw materials, calcination, grinding, inspection, and strictly guard against the five links, and resolutely prevent substandard products from leaving the factory.

Good news kept coming, and the indicators exceeded the national standard.

All kinds of old objects, tools, awards.. The historical materials everywhere witness the accompanying years of workers and enterprises, and engrave the glory of every struggle. Among them, the "330 theme license plate exhibition area" is particularly touching-each license plate has a "330" number. The owners of

these license plates are all employees of enterprises. When choosing the number of their own cars, they specially chose the special number "330". Read carefully, many also have hidden passwords: "KL330" stands for "Happy 330", "JY330" stands for "Go 330", "ZD330" stands for "Fight 330", "JD330" stands for "Remember 330"-the self-motivation of not forgetting the way to come.

I just arrived at 330 when I was recruited, and I left Jing Station and went north. Where is the

lifelong home?

Factory buildings are hidden in the mountains, and the sound of blasting stones is heard. Most of the

workers work in three shifts, and 38 yuan is still zero.

......

Looking forward to Huajia in the coming year, we are lucky to visit Sandouping.

Sandouping is the dam site of the Three Gorges Project, and what "we are lucky enough to visit" today has long been the vast expanse of "high gorge and flat lake".Every year

, Gezhouba Group takes March 30 as the anniversary of the establishment of enterprises, highlighting the identity of the national team of hydropower construction. Interestingly, the cement company took April 26 as the factory celebration day and positioned itself as a building materials enterprise in a "low-key" way.

In fact, holding hands with "330" is the spiritual source of this meeting, and deeply rooted in the enterprise gene, wind and rain cycle, blood inheritance. Although the

historical hand-in-hand

is bound up with "330", at the very beginning, the old factory was not managed by Gezhouba Engineering Bureau. With the adjustment of national capital construction and the promotion of Gezhouba Project, the management system has undergone major adjustments in order to strengthen the coordination between the guarantee of engineering building materials and enterprise management.

In 1979, through the coordination of Comrade Li Xiannian, then Vice Premier of the State Council, the State Construction Commission assigned the cement plant to the "330 Engineering Bureau" at that time. This "hand-in-hand" brought the cement company into the strategic territory of Gezhouba Engineering Bureau and made it the largest building materials enterprise in the national hydropower system.

Looking back, this arrangement has a profound meaning. The Gezhouba Project and the subsequent Three Gorges Project are both concrete gravity dams with huge pouring volume, and crack control is a major problem, which is closely related to the hydration heat of concrete, and is also related to the development and control of cement production technology and quality. "Hand in hand" project construction and cement production, to achieve unified management, help to achieve better "responsibility binding".

This "responsibility binding" has lasted from Gezhouba to the Three Gorges Project. The service for Gezhouba Project mainly relies on the two wet lines of No.1 and No.2 kilns of the old plant. After that, the No.3 kiln led by Gezhouba Group focused directly on the Three Gorges Project and played a decisive role in the development history of the cement company.

1993, the No.3 kiln was approved by the State Planning Commission to start construction. After 21 months of hard work, the kiln was successfully ignited on August 18, 1995, and the whole process line was completed at the end of the year, creating a proud achievement of "the fastest speed of the same type in the country". It not only ranks among the first batch of advanced cement dry line in China, but also is the benchmark for producing high-grade dam cement with dry line in China.

Eventually, the capacity of the five production lines of the old plant was fixed at 4 million tons per year, providing 70% and 80% of the cement supply for the Gezhouba Project and the Three Gorges Project respectively. The enterprise has won the reputation of "the largest special cement production base in China".

The most solid bond comes from the common mission; the most profound development comes from the continuous transcendence.

The

cement company has experienced a challenging exploration process of how to build an evergreen industry and continue to grow.

The first is the change of the market. As early as the eighties of last century, the production of enterprises has just been on the right track, and the external environment has quietly changed. After 1985, the Gezhouba Project came to an end, and the national mandatory distribution plan was greatly reduced. Since 1986, the cement production and sales have been fully regulated by the market, and the enterprise has formally joined the wave of market competition.

With the sustainable development of social economy, the old factory area of Jingmen has gradually integrated into the urban development territory. At the same time, with the iterative upgrading of technology, the 330 Cement Plant, which was born of the Gezhouba Project and made outstanding contributions to the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, is gradually facing practical challenges such as pollution control and energy consumption control. Compared with the national industrial policy orientation, the traditional production mode has been difficult to adapt to the development requirements of the new era.

In 2014, the five production lines of the factory were completely shut down and the historical mission was successfully completed. Since then, the enterprise has followed the pace of national industrial policy adjustment and development planning, and successfully transformed and upgraded to a comprehensive cement group with diversified business and coordinated development. In Dangyang, Jiayu, Yicheng, Songzi, Zhongxiang, Shimen and other places, it has taken the initiative to change and stand up to the tide in the fierce market competition, and has grown into the backbone of the industry development.

The times ask and the reform answers. At this stage, the mode of enterprise development is constantly innovating. In 2007, the state established 60 key supporting cement enterprises, and Hubei Province entrusted Gezhouba Group with the task of restructuring and integration of cement enterprises in the province. In this context, since 2007, the cement company has taken Jingmen as its fulcrum, expanded to western and eastern Hubei in an orderly manner, transformed the old production lines through restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, capacity replacement, investment and new construction, built a number of modern new dry production lines with a daily output of 4800 tons or more, and built a green "garden-style factory". A road of reform and development is gradually unfolding.

At this stage, market services and competition are further enhanced.". From the Jianghan Plain to the mountains of western Hubei, the footprint of development has been continuously extended. Dangyang Company took the lead in extending the industrial chain and became the largest commercial concrete unit in the system, which injected "cement power" into Hanyi high-speed rail and ended the history of Jianghan Plain without trunk railway. Jiayu Company relies on "Hubei high-quality" cement to silently support Tianhe Airport, Yangsigang Yangtze River Bridge and other city landmarks. In the Danjiangkou Dam Heightening Project of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project, Laohekou Company has overcome the world-class problem of the combination of new and old concrete with technical ingenuity. Subsidiaries in Zhongxiang, Yicheng, Xingshan, Jingmen and Shimen have jointly woven a supply network covering key areas such as high-speed rail, bridges, water conservancy and people's livelihood, and become faithful "witnesses" and "supporters" of social and economic development.

At this stage, the image of the industry has fundamentally changed.". When environmental protection becomes the proposition of the times, cement companies have quietly completed a "green revolution". Once a "big energy consumer", it turned into a "practitioner of circular economy"-Songzi, Jingmen and other five units were awarded the national "green factory", Zhongxiang, Dangyang and other five mines were selected into the national green mine list. Since 2015, cement kilns have begun to "digest" urban garbage, disposing of more than 1.75 million tons of domestic garbage, repairing 700000 tons of contaminated soil, replacing raw coal with waste fabrics, and integrating cement production with urban ecological cycle. Nowadays, waste heat and photovoltaic power generation have accounted for more than 30% of production electricity, green development is no longer a slogan, but the data and vitality of the workshop.

At this stage, the cement company has always built a solid foundation for development with strict management.". Construct a comprehensive and refined management framework of "system guidance, cultural infiltration and mechanism guarantee", and run the fine requirements through the whole chain of production and operation. For example, the "Post Safety Risk Prevention Manual" compiled in 2019 covers more than 100 key posts, clarifies the risk points, operational norms and emergency response processes of each link, matches the full coverage of the safety production responsibility system, normalizes the investigation and management of hidden dangers, and constructs a closed-loop safety chain. By building a hierarchical organization and talent system, consolidating the system and assessment system, so that management has support, standards and incentives; with the cultural concept of "everyone stresses refinement" to condense consensus and internalize the sense of refinement into the consciousness of the whole staff; Intelligent monitoring, standardized operation, quality control and other key mechanisms work together to achieve the whole process from raw material traceability to production monitoring, from equipment operation and maintenance to risk provention and control.

what it is today and what it will be based on.". In retrospect, Gezhouba Cement Company has bravely broken through at least two barriers: one is to build a solid foundation for the establishment of the factory, successfully complete the key guarantee tasks of serving Gezhouba and the Great Three Gorges, and pour the "Great Wall on Water" with high-quality cement; the other is to transform the market, take the opportunity of the demolition and withdrawal of the old factory, upgrade the production capacity and optimize the layout through technological transformation, reorganization and expansion in other places, and fully integrate into the market competition. From an annual output of 300000 tons to 4 million tons, and then to an annual output of 25 million tons, the enterprise ranks among the top 14 clinker production capacity in the national cement industry.

Guanshan Wanli begins with the choice of advance and retreat, and the river rushes between turns. The fate of enterprise development often depends on taking the key steps.

From digitalization to internationalization

, we have the best understanding of engineering needs in the cement field and the best understanding of cement performance in the engineering field. This is the unique core advantage of Gezhouba Group- "engineering-cement integration" capability, "precise translation" of engineering requirements as production parameters, and quality control throughout the whole process, with the most suitable cement to support the most reliable project.

Let's walk into Hubei Yicheng Company and Overseas Xili Company to see their adherence to core advantages.

According to Yu Kangyi, chairman of Yicheng Company, Yicheng Plant is a pioneer in the development of digital intelligence in cement companies. It is not only a master of technology, but also an industrial landmark that integrates technological innovation, green transformation and spiritual inheritance.

Unlike the old factory in Jingmen, in Yicheng, the first thing to face is the difference of mines-they call it "chicken nest mine". The raw material composition of the mine is complex and the grade fluctuates greatly, which brings challenges to the production. However, if properly managed, this disadvantage can also be turned into an advantage-the composition is complex, which means that the mine is rich in silicon, aluminium and other correction raw materials, and the reduction of related purchased raw materials can reduce costs from the source.

is in the Intelligent Manufacturing Center of Yicheng Plant." The mechanical arm in the fully automatic laboratory operates flexibly, automatically grabs the sample tank transmitted through the closed pipeline, and realizes on-line accurate analysis.

Traditional manual control response is slow, often hours, but now the new system compresses the response time to 3-4 minutes: raw material detection is completed within 1 minute, and ingredients are dynamically adjusted within 3 minutes. Through automatic calibration and closed-loop correction, the system firmly locks the fluctuation of raw material three-rate value in the index range.

Yicheng Factory is also actively innovating in its business model. In 2024, 5 million tons of gravel aggregate line and commercial mixing station will be built to form the whole industrial chain layout of "cement + aggregate + commercial mixing", so as to enhance the anti-risk ability of enterprises in the terminal market.

Today's factories put more emphasis on technology iteration and management upgrade. Yu Kangyi is an enthusiastic and sunny young person in charge. With the support of advanced technology, he is confident and calm in leading such a complex modern factory.

Over the years, it has always adhered to the background of technology. This is also prominent in the company's first overseas factory, Gezhouba Xili Cement Company.

Sealy has built a portfolio covering general purpose cement, oil well cement, High Sulfur Resistant Cement, Xili Company" and local universities jointly compile industry teaching materials, promote China's cement production technology and equipment, and constantly shape the industry brand image of "World Cement Looks at China". Xili Company has sent more than 80 Kazakh employees to China for study, training and cultural exchange, and the proportion of Kazakh employees is more than 85%, which is a model of localized operation. This is a successful attempt for enterprises to implement the "the Belt and Road" initiative, rely on core technology to go to sea and expand the international market. With solid economic and social benefits, it has become a model of replicable overseas projects.

At present, Xili Company is the cement enterprise with the largest variety of local products and the only enterprise in the region that holds the API logo certification of the United States. With its excellent quality and steady operation, Xili Company has won many national quality certification and investment awards in Kazakhstan.

that the staff of Yicheng Company are continuing the" perseverance spirit "of the old factory with hard work: strong team cohesion and orderly management.". Yicheng is a small town, but everyone looks at work and life with optimism-Yicheng's agriculture is flourishing, its folk customs are simple, and its special farm dishes are a unique flavor of Hubei, which nourishes the team's fireworks. The conditions in Xili, Kazakhstan are difficult. It is located in a saline-alkali land. In winter, the temperature is as low as minus 20 degrees. There is a shortage of vegetables. Everyone opens up wasteland to grow vegetables, raise chickens, ducks, fish and shrimps. In a foreign country, the spirit of doing things by oneself and having enough food and clothing is vividly demonstrated.

Recalling the past and touching the present, I am touched by the scenery. The belief carried by the word "perseverance" is not only the echo of history, but also the practice of the present. From digitalization to internationalization, the builders of the peaceful era are writing the progressive answers belonging to this generation with practical work and responsibility. Shimen County, Changde City,

Hunan Province, located on the border of Hunan and Hubei, is the "gateway to the northwest of Hunan". The "Shimen Defense War" during the Anti-Japanese War was one of the most tragic battles in the Changde Battle. Wu Chunlian, a native of Shimen, is the deputy general manager of Gezhouba Shimen Special Cement Company. Although I have not experienced the years of war, I am not unfamiliar with it. "My hometown still retains the blockhouses built in the war years. When I was a child, I would pass by every day when I went to school."

Three Gorges Dam adopts the mode of "one main and two auxiliary". The main supplier is Gezhouba Cement Company. The original Shimen Factory, as a local enterprise, has become an auxiliary supplier because it can produce special cement and is within 200 kilometers from the Three Gorges construction site. In 2014, it joined Gezhouba Cement Group through reorganization and acquisition.

Due to the unique raw material resources and the accumulation of technology and talents in the field of special cement, Shimen Factory has continued the orthodox "mantle" of special cement in Gezhouba, and is the main manufacturer of "Three Gorges Brand" special cement, covering the whole country and exporting to Southeast Asia, Africa and other places. Li Jingtang, the current chairman

of Shimen Company, said: After the reorganization, we immediately carried out a systematic transformation of Shimen Cement Plant. At present, more than 30 kinds of special cement in 8 series can be produced here. A detail different from ordinary cement enterprises is the huge cement clinker depot, which other enterprises may only need one or two, but Shimen Factory has as many as 23, corresponding to different products and application scenarios.

In the past, the deep-sea cementing construction of offshore oil and gas fields has been plagued by the low temperature environment below 10 C for a long time-the cement hydration is slow and the strength is insufficient. In the past, a large number of admixtures were added, but the cost was high and the operation was complex. They abandoned the old routine of adding admixtures, changed to adjust the mineral composition of cement, and innovated the trump card product of oil well cement.

China's Jiangmen Neutrino Laboratory large scientific device, the core components are located 700 meters underground, detection instruments rely on ultra-pure water environment, requiring concrete pools with ultra-high density, no cracks, impermeability, corrosion resistance and high durability, their "special customization" to adapt to ultra-deep water pressure and large volume pouring conditions, perfectly solve this problem.

In order to meet the needs of offshore wind power construction, they have successfully developed high-strength and high-performance cement cementitious materials, with ultra-high-strength cement as the core, breaking the dependence on imported grouting materials, with superior performance.

Around the R & D and production of special cement, Shimen Company has formed a rigorous and meticulous management system. Here, the concepts related to quality, such as fine management, ultimate pursuit and solemn commitment, are no longer abstract and distant.

In a closed laboratory, time seems to freeze-the cement samples supplied for the Three Gorges Project 30 years ago are still standing in a thermostatic water tank. The date and number written by the blue marker on the sample are as clear as yesterday. They will test it again on a ten-year cycle. It's hard to believe that the materials industry can be so hard-core and poetic without seeing it with your own eyes.

in the family tree of Gezhouba Special Cement, from Jingmen to Shimen, What runs through the land of Hunan and Chu is not only the economic ties, but also the spiritual backbone of the same line of history and culture and building a homeland together. Every factory is a fortress, building an immortal monument.

Feedback and Challenge

"Do you know how hot the cement company is when it makes the most money?"? Millions of profits a day, up to 10 million at the highest! From 2018 to 2021, it lasted for nearly four years, and we earned 3 billion yuan in the most year! The whole process of Gezhouba Cement Company has gone through this process, which has not only gained rich feedback from the market, but also faced the severe challenges of industry competition. At the turn of the

century, the domestic cement industry has set off a wave of great expansion and integration. In recent years, under the influence of the environment, the market has undergone tremendous changes, and sustainable and healthy development has become a major issue of concern to the whole industry.

Challenges are not new to Gezhouba Cement Company. From planned economy to market economy, from "high-end customization" to "complete competition"-the development track of more than 50 years is clearly discernible. With the passage of time, Gezhouba Cement Company's initial gene of "serving specific projects" not only shapes its professional advantages in the field of special cement, but also brings some limitations in management and development. They meet the challenges, grasp the development opportunities and face the market competition as the fundamental premise, and are still on the road today.

Understanding the past can not be separated from the specific history and environment, the key is how to anchor the course and face the future.

Fifty-five years of trials and hardships, looking back on the past, there are the bonfire of entrepreneurship, the sweat of fortification, the pain of transformation, as well as the glory of rivers and the brilliance of market feedback. This road has never been a smooth road, but a relay from generation to generation to the distant place.

Fifty-five years old, for individuals, is the year when experience, knowledge and vitality are intertwined. For enterprises, this moment is also a historical juncture for connecting the past with the future and breaking the new situation.

Looking back is to look forward better.

May the gene of "perseverance" be inherited, and may the banner of innovation with the word "special" always be held high. Let this enterprise, which shares the same breath and destiny with the big country's heavy equipment, move towards another bright spring in the new journey of high-quality development.