Jieyang to hasten development of green industries

Jieyang, a coastal city in Guangdong province, is accelerating the development of its green petrochemical and marine economy industries while prioritizing five additional key sectors to achieve high-quality growth, the city's top official said.

Zeng Fengbao, the city's Communist Party secretary and deputy to the 14th National People's Congress, emphasized Jieyang's commitment to environmentally friendly development as it builds its petrochemical industry.

A cornerstone of this effort is China National Petroleum Corp's Guangdong petrochemical project, which has adopted advanced environmental protection technologies to achieve ultra-low emissions, a wastewater reuse rate exceeding 70 percent and full compliance in solid waste treatment.

According to Zeng, the 70.2 billion yuan ($9.7 billion) project is the company's largest single investment. The company has linked the project to efforts to promote supply-side structural reform and accelerate the transformation and upgrading of China's refining and chemical industries.

The Guangdong plant has the capacity to process more than 20 million metric tons of crude oil annually, along with 2.6 million tons of aromatic hydrocarbon and 1.2 million tons of ethylene. It also produces more than 20 types of oil products and 200 types of chemical products, playing a pivotal role in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area's development.

These products are used in high-end industries, including aerospace, railway and maritime transportation, agriculture, healthcare, construction and electronics.

Since commencing full operations in 2023, the project has processed more than 36 million tons of crude oil, generating over 200 billion yuan in output value and 30 billion yuan in tax revenue, Zeng said.

Jieyang's green petrochemical industry aims to grow to more than 200 billion yuan in scale within the next two to three years.

Meanwhile, the city government plans to vigorously develop its marine economy, focusing on offshore wind power, hydrogen energy storage, ocean ranching and offshore equipment manufacturing. These efforts aim to strengthen and expand Jieyang's industrial advantages.

Zeng announced plans to build an industrial cluster worth more than 800 billion yuan within three years.

To support these goals, he urged city departments to adopt an "everything for the enterprise" approach, treating business affairs as their own.

"With further policy and measure support, we will wholeheartedly assist and empower enterprises," he said.

"We will spare no effort to create an efficient and clean government, a fair and competitive market and a transparent legal environment for investors and entrepreneurs worldwide."

Infrastructure development is also a priority. The city government plans to invest 20 billion yuan this year in major transportation infrastructure and urban highway networks to strengthen connectivity between Jieyang and other cities.

Jieyang's goals are within reach, in part due to its 300,000-ton-capacity deep-water port, which has 20 port berths either operational or under construction. It is also home to China's first wind power "home port".

Last year, Jieyang's port cargo throughput reached 70.85 million tons, an 18.9 percent increase from the previous year. The city's GDP grew 3.9 percent during the same period, ranking sixth in Guangdong in terms of growth rate.

zhengcaixiong@chinadaily.com.cn