The collaborative efforts between Fujian and Ningxia over the past thirty years have achieved a historic transformation from one-way assistance to a model of mutual benefit and shared development, setting a benchmark for regional cooperation across China.
Collaborative Wins: Casting a Stronger, Complementary Supply Chain with 3D Printing
In Nan'an, Fujian, a company specializing in casting 3D printing technology from Ningxia has established operations, effectively complementing the local machinery and equipment industrial chain. This successful integration extends the Fujian-Ningxia collaboration into the realm of industrial chain synergy. At the National Intelligent Casting Industry Innovation (Quanzhou) Center in Xiametown, technicians are calibrating two new casting 3D printers. Once operational, the smart factory's total will increase from six to eight units, boosting production capacity. These printers produce molds for castings, replacing traditional mold-making methods. The core technology, which significantly shortens mold preparation cycles, originates from Ningxia's Sharing Group.
Headquartered in Yinchuan, Ningxia, Sharing Group operates a leading intelligent factory for the entire casting 3D printing process. Quanzhou, with its complete machinery and equipment industrial chain valued at over 100 billion yuan, provided the ideal partner. Leveraging the "Fujian-Ningxia Collaboration," the high-end manufacturing expertise from inland Ningxia merged with the dynamic economic energy of the southeastern coast. Sharing Group established its latest-generation intelligent casting 3D factory in Nan'an, which commenced operations in March 2023.
"Speed" is the hallmark of this 10,000-ton-capacity smart factory. It not only addresses pain points of traditional processes but also enables "flexible production," meeting enterprise demands for small batches, complex components, and customization. Shi Qingming's team is currently discussing product designs with a company that manufactures machine tools for processing aero-engine blades. The two factories are located within the same industrial park, just 400 meters apart. Since 2023, this enterprise has been a consistent customer for 3D-printed products.
Fujian's robust machinery and equipment industrial chain has brought not only orders but also diverse application scenarios, which in turn are driving technological advancements and applications for Sharing Group's intelligent manufacturing solutions in Ningxia.
Building a "Smart Hub" Through East-West Collaboration
Guided by the Fujian-Ningxia framework, Ningxia is creating favorable conditions to attract investment and expand the platform for east-west cooperation. This initiative not only draws enterprises from the eastern regions to establish roots but also empowers local companies to expand nationally, marking a shift from one-way assistance to two-way, win-win collaboration.
In Minning Town, Ningxia, three decades of east-west cooperation have borne new fruit. This is a "high-quality tomato" produced at a smart agriculture base. Why is it called "high-quality"? Inside the smart greenhouse, when light, temperature, and humidity reach preset levels, drip irrigation emitters activate automatically, delivering nutrient solution precisely to the root of each tomato plant, integrating water and fertilizer management. Skylights open and close automatically based on temperature, boiler exhaust is recycled to provide carbon dioxide for the tomatoes, and rainwater is collected and reused—enhancing both environmental sustainability and yield. Through comprehensive intelligent control of temperature, light, water, air, and fertilizer, the optimal growing environment is created, enabling year-round supply.
Why did such an enterprise choose Minning Town? According to Zhang Xulong, the head of the smart agricultural industrial park, the primary reasons are Ningxia's favorable natural environment, abundant sunlight, and good synchronization of temperature and light. Additionally, local government support has been substantial, offering tangible benefits regarding land use and natural gas pricing. This company from Shandong not only excels at growing tomatoes but also provides stable local employment for residents of Minning Town.
Local Innovation Powering National Infrastructure
While electricity is used daily, overhead transmission lines face significant challenges. Bird interference, ice accumulation, and strong winds, though seemingly minor, are major causes of line faults. A Ningxia-based enterprise has developed proprietary technology to address power stability. This company, dedicated to power transmission safety, is China's first to develop integrated protective insulation devices. Their products specifically tackle issues like bird strikes and wind-induced sway that frequently cause outages, making grid operations safer and more reliable. Furthermore, the company has independently developed an insulator inspection robot that operates via drone deployment, ensuring both safety and efficiency. Today, these products have expanded beyond Ningxia, being tested in broader markets.
Tomatoes from the east have taken root in Minning Town, while robots starting from Ningxia safeguard power grids in eastern and other regions. This two-way flow of industries is a vivid illustration of east-west collaboration, a path that continues to extend further.
Minning Town: From a Single Utility Pole to a "Green Power" Benchmark
In recent years, Minning Town has gained a new identity as a "Green Power Town." By the end of 2024, it became the first town in northwest China to achieve 24-hour green power supply. How did this immigrant town, rising from a "dry beach," transform into a "green power" benchmark?
Trainees gather around a disassembled wind turbine, examining its exposed gearbox and yaw system. Nearby, energy storage and power conversion equipment from different eras and employing various technologies are within reach. This is not a science museum but the largest and most comprehensive new energy training school in northwest China. The practical training base was established here precisely because of Minning Town's substantial "wind and solar resources."
Yet, Minning Town was not always so "resourceful." Wang Ruifang, the longest-serving employee at the Minning Town Power Supply Station, has worked there since its establishment in 1997. She vividly recalls the early days, describing the harsh conditions with the phrase "no birds in the sky, no grass on the ground." Later, the government built a water tower in the town that required electricity for pumping. The power department erected the first utility pole right next to it. With electricity and water, people could settle and thrive.
That single utility pole brought electricity, enabled water pumping, and helped retain the population. The shift from "having electricity" to becoming a "green power benchmark" began on the rooftops of Yuanlong Village, the largest ecological resettlement village in Minning Town. All 1,922 households have installed photovoltaic panels on their roofs, with the deep blue panels arranged neatly, creating a unique landscape. With an average of 3,000 hours of annual sunshine—a gift from nature—residents genuinely experience that "sunlight can also earn money."
Beyond residential rooftops, many villages in Minning Town have leased idle land to build more "solar savings accounts." People also engage in planting and breeding beneath the photovoltaic panels, generating dual income from a single plot of land and achieving a win-win for ecology and livelihood.
On the surrounding sandy wastelands, wind turbines stand tall, complementing the solar power generation. However, renewable energy has an inherent challenge: no sun at night, and wind may cease. Where does the electricity come from then? Minning Town's solution is a "super power bank." But having a "power bank" alone is not enough; precise dispatch is key. A self-developed "Source-Grid-Load-Storage Coordination Control System" was deployed here for the first time.
Relying on every photovoltaic panel from rooftops to wastelands, every wind turbine, a "super power bank," and an intelligent "dispatch brain," Minning Town's "Green Power Town," fully established by 2024, has delivered solid results. It supplies 566 million kilowatt-hours of green electricity annually, saving over 69,500 tons of standard coal, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 192,700 tons, and achieving a new energy utilization efficiency exceeding 95%. This "Green Power Town" also presented its model at the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference, offering a grassroots, vivid case study from a small town in northwest China for the global "dual carbon" goals.
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