The unveiling ceremony of the new material industrialization transformation base of Beijing University of Chemical Technology and the green and low-carbon asphalt production demonstration base of Baotou Transportation Investment Group was held in Baotou on July 25.

The production demonstration base is the first large-scale, environmentally-friendly building material production base in Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Investment in the project totals more than 62 million yuan ($9.18 million). After completion, it will be able to store 21,000 metric tons of asphalt at a time, and produce and sell 100,000 tons of serialized green and low-carbon modified asphalt products annually, with a predicted sales income of about 500 million yuan.

According to Dong Dawei, doctor at Beijing University of Chemical Technology and director of the industrialization transformation of rubber-modified asphalt serialization technology, the asphalt products produced by the base use solid waste as raw materials, which greatly reduces the amount of petroleum asphalt and the use of polymer additives synthesized from other fossil energy sources, greatly reducing carbon emissions.

"This product will also help prevent highways in the northern regions from cracking during winter," said Zhang Lei, chairman of the Baotou Transportation Investment Group. Baotou has already tested the product on Qingda Line, Jianshe Road, Baiyun Road and other roads. After comparison, each ton of rubber asphalt can reduce carbon emissions by 158 tons, and the number of road surface cracks is significantly reduced, while the maintenance costs of the road have also been significantly reduced.

"If the base fully meets its potential, it will be able to consume 30,000 tons of waste tires and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 150,000 tons each year," Zhang added.