Once defined by its mining roots and copper-driven prosperity, Baiyin City in Gansu Province served as the birthplace of China’s nonferrous metal industry, enjoying a golden era in copper production before enduring the challenges of resource depletion.
Today, this old industrial hub is breaking free from resource dependence, fostering new quality productive forces tailored to local conditions. By simultaneously modernizing its traditional copper sector and nurturing emerging industries, Baiyin is charting a remarkable path of rejuvenation for resource-exhausted cities.
Green Energy Surge Lays Foundation for Transition
In early autumn, the Gobi desert in Jingtai County reveals a striking scene: rows of photovoltaic panels stretch to the horizon, wind turbines spin steadily, and clean electricity from the “Gansu-to-Shandong Power Transmission” supporting Baiyin new energy base flows eastward. The project generates about 7.7 billion kilowatt-hours annually, equivalent to saving 2.31 million tons of standard coal and cutting carbon dioxide emissions by over 6 million tons.
According to State Grid Gansu Electric Power Company, Baiyin’s wind and solar installed capacity has surpassed 7.2 million kilowatts, with large-scale bases developing in tandem and green power being delivered steadily. The once-barren wasteland is now converting resource advantages into tangible economic benefits.
From “resource depletion” to “boundless wind and solar,” Baiyin treats new energy as a pillar industry for nurturing new quality productive forces and driving urban transformation. Rather than merely exporting electricity, the city focuses on leveraging green power to empower the real economy and support industrial upgrading.
At Liuchuan Industrial Concentration Zone in Jingyuan County, Gansu Zhongrui Aluminum Co., Ltd. operates at full capacity, producing over 290,000 tons of aluminum ingots annually while consuming about 4 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity—a typical energy-intensive enterprise. Company official Liu Hongwang explains that the firm has optimized its energy mix by signing long-term green power contracts with clean energy suppliers and actively participating in power market trading, purchasing green electricity certificates. In 2025, the company invested over 1 million yuan to acquire 1.35 million green certificates, which, combined with hydropower and wind-solar indicators, meets Gansu’s green energy standards for the electrolytic aluminum industry.
By substituting green electricity and certificates, carbon emissions from aluminum production have dropped significantly, meeting green procurement standards in sectors like new energy vehicles, photovoltaics, and aviation, while boosting international competitiveness. This shift propels energy-intensive industries from “high-carbon consumption” to “low-carbon green production.”
Old and New Synergy Forges High-End Industrial Competitiveness
Baiyin is a classic industrial city born from mines and enterprises, with the nationally designated “First Five-Year Plan” project Baiyin Nonferrous Group Co., Ltd. established here, earning it the title of China’s “Copper City.” After over 70 years of extraction, resources are nearing exhaustion, making transformation urgent.
With a long-term vision, Baiyin is focusing on cultivating new quality productive forces, driving upgrades in traditional industries and expansion of emerging ones.
In Baiyin High-tech Zone, Baiyin Shidai Ruixiang New Materials Technology Co., Ltd. has launched Phase I of its 20,000-ton lithium iron manganese phosphate project, with products widely used in energy storage and new energy vehicles. Leveraging proprietary process development, the company’s performance ranks among the industry’s advanced levels. Deputy General Manager Tian Yong says the company’s presence in Baiyin is not accidental but builds on Baiyin Nonferrous Group’s 1.4 million-ton smelting slag comprehensive utilization project, extracting valuable manganese and iron from waste residue on-site. This creates a closed-loop chain of “industrial solid waste—precursor materials—lithium iron manganese phosphate cathode materials,” fully revitalizing solid waste resources and turning “burdens” into “treasures.” It exemplifies Baiyin’s adaptive approach to developing new quality productive forces.
The traditional copper sector is also advancing toward high-end, precision refinement. Baiyin Nonferrous Changtong Wire and Cable Co., Ltd. specializes in deep copper processing, breaking through micron-level technologies to mass-produce 0.012-millimeter ultra-fine copper wire—just one-fifth the diameter of a human hair—suitable for precision fields like pacemakers and high-end touch devices.
“In the past, we shipped copper ingots and rods. Now, we produce micron-level ultra-fine electromagnetic wire, multiplying product value,” says Chen Jiajun, technical manager of the production department. Through equipment and process upgrades, the company has built northwestern China’s leading ultra-fine electromagnetic wire production base, elevating products beyond primary smelting to high-end precision manufacturing, with sales reaching the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta regions.
Alongside revitalizing local resources and upgrading traditional industries, Baiyin is intensifying policy support and R&D incubation to grow emerging sectors. Gansu Hualongxin Materials Technology Co., Ltd. focuses on high-end electronic chemicals, having filed nearly 100 domestic and international patents and established a full-process R&D system from monomer preparation to product testing and evaluation. Baiyin Kangyuxin Biotechnology Co., Ltd. produces pyrazine, a pharmaceutical intermediate, commanding over 80% of the domestic market share and contributing to global antiviral drug supplies.
The Baiyin Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology states that during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, the city aims to build a “125” modern industrial cluster structure: one trillion-yuan-level cluster, two 50-billion-yuan-level clusters, and five 10-billion-yuan-level clusters, targeting total industrial output exceeding 250 billion yuan by the end of the plan period.
Ecology and Livelihood Merge for a Livable New Look
The ultimate goal of industrial transformation is a tangible improvement in residents’ lives. Decades of mining left ecological debts in Baiyin, but today, Yellow River basin restoration, urban renewal, and livelihood enhancement are advancing in tandem, steadily raising public satisfaction and well-being.
Standing at Baiyin Open-Pit Mine Relic Park, it’s hard to imagine this was once a dusty, abandoned mining pit. After years of governance, the former industrial wasteland has become a verdant recreational park for citizens. Over the years, Baiyin has increased ecological investment, carrying out mine geological environment restoration and comprehensive management of the Yellow River section through the city, addressing ecological shortcomings and turning past pain points into green highlights.
The city also prioritizes resolving everyday nuisances and improving administrative efficiency as key to enhancing happiness. Baiyin has adopted the philosophy that “public messages are grassroots work delivered to our doorstep,” using “resolving issues and ensuring satisfaction” as the benchmark. Simple matters are handled on the spot, while complex ones are tackled by leadership-led task forces. In the first seven months of this year, authorities processed 1,165 netizen messages citywide, resolving 1,028 with a satisfaction rate rising to 99.5%.
From dependence solely on copper to coordinated growth across new energy, new materials, and new lifestyles, and from resource-depletion growing pains to accelerated development of new quality productive forces, Baiyin is activating the vitality of this old industrial city through adaptive and dual-track transformation, driving high-quality development.
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