Elvira Kadyrova, 31 July 2025, Yulin, China
Shaanxi Province boasts abundant mineral resources, with 138 types discovered. The province leads China in reserves of coal, bauxite, perlite, gallium, and zeolite. In ancient times, this region was honorably known as the “hometown of coal.”
In the modern era, Shaanxi Province is becoming a frontrunner in renewable energy, a fact our youth delegation from Turkmenistan had the honor of witnessing firsthand. The second day of our stay in Yulin City was marked by visits to state-of-the-art energy enterprises.
Zero-Emission Distributed Smart Energy Center Demonstration Project
Located in Yulin’s Innovation Science and Technology City, this project was built and is operated by Qing’an Unitech and Technology Development (Yulin) Ltd. Officially launched in August 2022, it currently supplies energy to the Athletes’ Village.
The project integrates hydrogen cogeneration and a comprehensive building energy system, utilizing renewable energy sources such as solar and geothermal. This creates a distributed, smart energy system with zero emissions. Each solar panel has a lifespan of 20 years, with the possibility of extension.
This is the world’s first practically scalable distributed smart energy center, providing safe, stable, comfortable, and environmentally friendly energy supply for the Athletes’ Village of the 15th Shaanxi Provincial Games. The project demonstrates a dual advantage—environmental and economic—reducing operating costs and cutting carbon emissions by 8,640 tons per year.
For Turkmenistan, which possesses significant potential for solar energy development, the experience and technologies of this project, as well as its alternative energy solutions, are of great interest and could be successfully applied.
Yulin Chemical Industry Company, a Subsidiary of Lanzhou Petrochina
The Yulin Chemical Industry Company, a subsidiary of Petrochina Lanzhou, was established in April 2019. Its significant investment project, an 800,000-ton-per-year ethane-to-ethylene plant, is located in the Yulin Industrial Park. The total investment for the project was 10.4 billion yuan.
Full-scale construction began on September 4, 2019, and by August 3, 2021, the plant was successfully commissioned, producing ethylene that met all quality standards.
Ethane, separated and produced at the Shanggu Gas Processing Plant in the Changqing oilfield, is used as raw material for ethylene cracking. The resulting ethylene is then processed into various polyethylene products at facilities for High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), and butene-1/hexene-1.
The park’s infrastructure includes:
- An 800,000-ton-per-year ethane-to-ethylene cracking unit.
- A 400,000-ton-per-year HDPE production unit.
- A 400,000-ton-per-year LDPE production unit.
- A flexible switching unit for 30,000-ton-per-year butene-1/hexene-1 production.
- Storage and transportation facilities, as well as auxiliary infrastructure.
The facility provides 600 permanent jobs and employs 500 contract workers.
Huaqin Company
Huaqin Company is a high-tech enterprise specializing in the research, development, production, sales, management, and operation of water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment. With over 20 years of experience, the company has established itself as a reliable supplier, and its products are widely used by major steel enterprises both in China and abroad.
Currently, the company serves approximately 1,000 clients. Its annual billet processing volume reaches approximately 210 million tons, securing its leading market position in the industry.
In 2021, the first phase of a project began construction on a site with a total investment of 500 million yuan. The first phase included:
- A 40,000-ton-per-year purified hydrogen production base.
- A 2,000 m³/h hydrogen electrolysis unit.
- A 16,000 m³ hydrogen storage system.
- A hydrogen fueling station capable of serving up to 10,000 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
In the consumer segment, a significant pilot project has been implemented: the province’s first stationary hydrogen fueling station with a capacity of 1,000 kg was built to serve 30 heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell trucks.
Overall, Shaanxi successfully combines its rich raw material heritage with the active implementation of innovative and environmentally friendly energy solutions, becoming a model for sustainable development and demonstrating immense potential for international cooperation in high technology. ///nCa, 1 August 2025