This past spring, employees at Serbia Zijin Copper were delighted to witness a heartwarming sight: more than a dozen white storks had dropped in unexpectedly at the Novo Cerovo Mine’s waste dump, an area vegetated 4 years ago. Some storks perched on lamp poles, while others curiously observed the miners from the edges of the facility. Most were exploring the reclaimed and vegetated areas. This pleasant scene has become a powerful testament to the ongoing ecological restoration at the mine.
This outcome stems from a fundamental shift in both philosophy and practices. In 2018, Zijin acquired a controlling stake in RTB Bor, a century-old state-owned enterprise in Serbia that operated the Bor Copper Complex, which includes Novo Cerovo, a few other mines, and a smelter. The acquired company was later renamed Serbia Zijin Copper. This acquisition marked a complete departure from the traditional “restoration after mining” approach. Instead, Zijin pioneered a new model of concurrent environmental improvement—restoring ecosystems during active mine development. From the very start of project construction, ecological restoration is integrated into the process, ensuring section-by-section rehabilitation immediately after excavation is complete.
To address the environmental challenges inherited from the RTB Bor era—such as tailings erosion and wind dust blowing from waste dumps—Zijin has implemented targeted interventions. Slopes at waste dumps have been reshaped, while closed tailings dams have been covered with topsoil and planted with vegetation. Areas once plagued by dust storms have now turned green.
“Grass has been planted on the closed tailings dams. The dust is gone. In the summer, we can see small animals like wild ducks and other waterbirds in the area,” said Milan Petrović, a resident living near the Veliki Krivelj mine.
“In the past, the mined-out areas left behind patches of barren land—what locals called ‘scars on the Earth,’” explained engineer Stevanović from Serbia Zijin Copper. “Since Zijin’s arrival, land reclamation, pollution control, and ecological restoration have been implemented. This created conditions suitable for plant growth, transforming once-barren wastelands into green spaces. Even at dump sites where smelter slag used to pile up, tulip gardens and rose parks have been built.”
As of the end of August 2025, Serbia Zijin Copper had revegetated 385 hectares of land, planting more than 1.21 million trees and shrubs—surpassing the total number of trees planted at its mine sites over the past century.
About 15 kilometers away from the Bor Copper Complex, another world-class mine has also been built by Zijin. From the outset of Zijin’s acquisition, the Čukaru Peki Copper-Gold Mine was positioned as “Serbia’s first modern green mine,” with the highest environmental standards followed during its development. Ecological restoration was incorporated as an essential component from the earliest mine planning stages.
To date, more than US$118 million has been invested in compliance with environmental laws and regulations, environmental improvements, green mining, and the operation and maintenance of environmental facilities. Čukaru Peki now boasts top-tier environmental infrastructure and lush landscapes—a mine nestled among flowers, where people work as if within a painting.
To date, a total of 1.12 million square meters of green space has been developed in the mine site, with over 52,000 ornamental trees, shrubs, and flowers planted, in addition to more than 61,000 oak and maple trees.
During his visit to the operation, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić praised it enthusiastically: “This mine looks truly impressive—I never imagined it could look like this, not even in my dreams!”
About Zijin Mining
Zijin Mining is a leading global metals and mining company and one of the world’s largest producers of gold, copper, and zinc. The company has more than 30 large-scale mining operations and projects across 19 countries on 5 continents. Leveraging strong in-house research, engineering, and development capabilities, Zijin maintains high operational efficiency and low costs in both acquisitions and operations. This enables the company to be an industry leader in value creation, underpinned by its philosophy of pursuing development for all and sustained by superior environmental, social, and governance performance. Zijin’s shares trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX: 2899) and the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE: 601899).