As the year draws to a close, Binzhou's economic landscape has reached a historic milestone: the revenue of its new energy and advanced materials industrial cluster has surpassed 103.6 billion yuan, officially establishing it as the city's sixth 100-billion-yuan-level industrial cluster, following high-end aluminum, fine chemicals, smart textiles, food processing, and livestock and aquaculture. This achievement marks a significant conclusion to the 14th Five-Year Plan period. The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China emphasized the development of a modern industrial system by promoting the integrated and clustered growth of strategic emerging industries, and building new growth engines such as new energy, advanced materials, and high-end equipment. The rise of Binzhou's sixth major cluster signifies not only a qualitative transformation of the city's energy structure from coal-dominant to a hub for wind and solar power but also represents the "Binzhou Path" for the transformation of traditional industrial cities in the race to replace old growth drivers with new ones.
From barren land to treasure trove: A green metamorphosis on saline-alkali shores. The northern coastal area of Binzhou was long perceived as a desolate, sparsely populated saline-alkali flat, plagued by strong winds, seawater intrusion, and wild grasses, embodying barrenness and desolation. In the past, people sighed at the sight of the alkali land; today, vast arrays of photovoltaic panels resemble a blue ocean, forming a modern energy landscape with distant rotating wind turbines, making this area the main battlefield for Binzhou's energy revolution. On March 31, 2025, the Huaneng Binzhou 850 MW photovoltaic project achieved full-capacity grid connection. A series of攻坚 imprints on this "blue sea" testify to the hard work of the builders: over 250,000 piles were driven into 15,800 mu of tidal flats, more than 1.69 million PV modules were installed, and cable laying exceeded 8,000 kilometers in length. "Honestly, I could hardly imagine it. At this time last year, this was still bare tidal flat; now it's become an endless sea of photovoltaics," reflected An Jihua, Party Committee Member and Deputy General Manager of Huaneng Binzhou Company and project leader, with deep emotion about the construction process. As the first large-scale national PV base project approved in Binzhou, the Huaneng Binzhou project can generate 1.286 billion kWh of electricity annually. It also establishes a circular economy model combining "PV power generation on water with aquaculture below," alongside salt production and bromine extraction, achieving three-dimensional development and comprehensive utilization of marine space.
The Binzhou Group Beihai Base Integrated Source-Grid-Load-Storage project, with a total investment of 1.421 billion yuan, represents not only a strategic move for the company's green and low-carbon transition but also aims to create a demonstration model for the deep integration of the chemical industry and new energy in China. Inside the Datang Lubei Power Generation 100MW/200MWh energy storage station, rows of white storage cabins are neatly arranged. These large-scale "power banks," among the first in the Lubei region, help solve the challenge of new energy's reliance on weather conditions. Data shows that by the end of 2025, Binzhou's installed capacity of new energy and renewable energy historically surpassed the 10-million-kilowatt mark, nearly tripling from the 3.54 million kW at the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, marking a fundamental shift in the energy supply structure.
Multi-billion-yuan projects such as the Huihong New Materials Smart Factory, Jingbo High-Performance Complex, and Benhua C3/C4 project have been completed and commenced operation. The Jingbo Chemical New Materials Pilot Platform was selected as one of the first national-level manufacturing pilot platforms. The Bozhong 19-6 condensate gas field supplies 900 million cubic meters of gas annually, and the first 10,000-ton high-purity hydrogen production base in China has been built. Behind this impressive report card lies Binzhou's practical approach, leveraging its locational advantages, resource endowment, and industrial foundation to drive green transformation through technological innovation. Bordering the river and sea, Binzhou possesses abundant land resources, with 1.29 million mu suitable for concentrated, large-scale development of wind and solar power, representing a total developable capacity of 60 million kW. In recent years, seizing the opportunity of the major national strategy for the Yellow River Basin, Binzhou has aimed to become a demonstration city for new energy industry development within the basin. Using the Lubei Saline-Alkali Tidal Flat Integrated Wind-PV-Storage-Transmission Base as a pivot, the city is全力 building a new energy and advanced materials industrial cluster covering the entire upstream, midstream, and downstream industrial chain.
By constructing a full-chain ecosystem from "raw material supply - equipment manufacturing - application scenarios," Binzhou strengthens the supply of lithium raw materials and core battery materials upstream by leveraging its chemical industry advantages, deepens equipment manufacturing like wind turbines and blades midstream, and expands diverse application scenarios like "new energy + chemicals" and "new energy + computing power" downstream, turning comparative advantages into competitive victories. Today, Binzhou has formed a diversified clean energy supply system dominated by wind and solar power, supplemented by hydrogen, geothermal, and biomass energy, making its green foundation increasingly solid.
From a grain of sand to substantial value: The leap in value along the industrial chain. If new energy is Binzhou's "green engine" for development, then advanced materials are the "core skeleton" supporting the city. In the exhibition hall of the Bohai Advanced Technology Research Institute, a piece of black foam-like material floating on water attracts attention. This is foam aluminum, a result of collaboration between the Weiqiao Pioneering Group and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Light as foam, this material possesses remarkable properties like sound insulation, explosion protection, and electromagnetic shielding, with wide applications in aerospace, marine, and aviation fields. High-end aluminum is Binzhou's primary pillar industry. As the global "chain leader" in high-end aluminum, Weiqiao Pioneering Group not only sees over 70% of the aluminum back shells used in everyday iPads and computers branded as "Made in Binzhou," but also drives upgrades across the entire industrial chain through its lightweight aluminum new materials base. It has built a complete industrial chain from "bauxite mining - electrolytic aluminum - automotive parts - aerospace materials," transforming aluminum from a product sold by the ton into a high-tech product sold by the gram.
A similar颠覆 occurs in the textile sector. In the exhibition hall of the Joyoung Group, micron-level polyester yarns, through precision weaving and bio-coating treatments, ultimately become artificial blood vessels implantable in the human body. "This product is woven from micron-level yarn materials, featuring stretchable and bendable properties, with a diameter range of 8 to 16 millimeters, primarily used for replacement, repair, or bypass surgery of large-diameter blood vessels like the abdominal aorta," explained a guide with a gleam in their eye. Transitioning from "weaving cloth" to "weaving blood vessels," Binzhou's traditional textile industry has made a remarkable leap. For a long time, clinically used artificial blood vessels in China relied heavily on imports, which were not only expensive but also had long supply cycles. Currently, this product has been tested in over 130 surgeries and is即将 entering the industrialization stage, which will not only alleviate urgent clinical needs but also reduce prices by more than 50%.
As a vital component of national strategic emerging industries, the advanced materials sector plays a crucial role in developing strategic emerging industries like next-generation information technology and high-end equipment manufacturing. In recent years, Binzhou has been expanding and strengthening six major chemical new materials industrial chains, including electronic chemicals, as well as chains for lightweight new materials and functional textile new materials. It is advancing several multi-billion-yuan projects like Jingbo Chemical New Materials, Benhua C3/C4, and Lubei Wanrun Lithium Battery,全力 building a nationally significant advanced materials industry base. Recent successes have been frequent, with the total number of global and national champion products increasing from 67 to 82, including 19 global champion products. Zaiyuan YUNENG produces the world's largest scale of NMP; Guoke Tianji produces world-class, domestically leading ultra-high-precision photoresists; Jingyang Technology leads the nation in oil-based needle coke production; Hongqiao New Materials is a national "leader" in corporate standards... These hardcore products, breaking monopolies and filling gaps, forge the sturdy backbone of Binzhou's high-quality development.
From following to leading: A two-way effort between government and enterprises. On June 29, 2023, the 2023 China (Binzhou) New Energy and Advanced Materials Industry Development Conference opened. During the opening ceremony, 42 investment projects were signed, with a total investment of 126.704 billion yuan. Why can so many new energy and advanced materials projects land in Binzhou? In his keynote speech, Municipal Party Committee Secretary Song Yongxiang provided "five reasons": in Binzhou, one can experience the "charm of the sea and elegance of the river," win "boundless prospects in wind and solar power," achieve a "metamorphosis like a silkworm breaking its cocoon," compete in the "hydrogen energy race track," and realize "your dreams and ours."
The rise of the sixth 100-billion-yuan cluster is by no means an overnight success. From planning guidance to factor保障, from mechanism innovation to precise services, the Binzhou Municipal Party Committee and Government have resonated and worked in tandem with enterprises, exploring a unique path for industrial cultivation with Binzhou characteristics. In recent years, Binzhou has accelerated the transformation of its优势 industries into strategic emerging industries, vigorously developing the new energy and advanced materials sectors. The Provincial Development and Reform Commission and the Provincial Energy Bureau tailored the "Several Measures to Support the High-Quality Development of Binzhou's New Energy Economy," providing precise empowerment from eight aspects, including breakthroughs in large-scale green power consumption and coupled development of the energy industry. Binzhou has successively issued documents such as the "Implementation Rules for High-Quality Development of the New Energy and Advanced Materials Industrial Cluster (2025-2030)," the "Binzhou City Advanced Materials Industry Technology Innovation Action Plan (2025-2027)," and the "Implementation Opinions on the Development of Binzhou's New Energy Industry," establishing a systematic and comprehensive policy support system.
The city innovatively established a "Six Ones" mechanism to guide the entire city to work "with one heart" and "as one chessboard," namely: establishing one leading group, formulating one set of implementation opinions, establishing one energy development service center, establishing one new energy group, setting up one new energy industry fund, and establishing one new energy research institute. This forms a closed loop of "coordination - execution - service -保障 - innovation," providing land and sea use guarantees for project construction, offering financial support for key new energy projects citywide, and破解 industrial development bottlenecks. Using a platform mindset, it innovates carrier support, building an industrial development platform characterized by "One Port, Four Parks." Relying on Binzhou Port to create a base for exporting wind power products, it focuses on building the Huimin Onshore Wind Power Industrial Park, the Beihai Economic Development Zone Offshore Wind Power Industrial Park, and the photovoltaic industrial parks in Wudi County and Zhanhua District. It aims to build, extend, supplement, and strengthen the new energy and advanced materials industrial chain, creating an industrial development ecology characterized by mutual promotion, differentiated development, and coordinated support.
When government and enterprises are united, their strength can cut metal; through mountain-sea cooperation, they compose a magnificent chapter. From the million-kilowatt level to the ten-million-kilowatt level, from industrial萌芽 to a 100-billion-yuan cluster, Binzhou has practically and steadfastly promoted the accelerated gathering of new energy and advanced materials projects and the continuous expansion of the industrial scale, powerfully building a new engine for high-quality development and writing a vivid report on green, low-carbon, high-quality development. Standing at the historical intersection marking the conclusion of the 14th Five-Year Plan and the launch of the 15th, Binzhou will continue to exert effort towards the "new," advance with an emphasis on "quality," and, with the Bohai Bay Future Technology Power Industry City at its core, accelerate the construction of the Lubei Saline-Alkali Tidal Flat Integrated Wind-PV-Storage-Transmission Base. It will全力 build Shandong Province's energy supply guarantee base and a nationally significant highland for new energy economic development, strengthen the advantages of its "6638N" modern industrial cluster system, and construct a modern industrial system with more distinct Binzhou characteristics.
Comments