China Commissions World's Largest Soda Ash and Baking Soda Production Base

The commissioning ceremony for the second phase of the BERUN Alkaline Project was recently held at the Phase II finished goods warehouse of BERUN Group's Alashan Tamsagbulag Project. With Phase II now fully completed and operational, the project has officially established the world's largest production base for soda ash and baking soda. Capable of supplying nearly one-third of China's soda ash demand, the project is set to exert a significant influence on the global soda ash industry's development trajectory and market structure.

The Alkaline Project is designed with an annual production capacity of 7.8 million tonnes of soda ash and 2 million tonnes of baking soda. Construction began in June 2020, with Phase I completed and put into operation in June 2023. Phase II construction commenced in late 2023, and the soda ash facilities were completed in December this year. The first production line successfully began operations on 9 December, with additional lines scheduled to come online sequentially. Once fully operational, the project's combined annual output of soda ash and baking soda will exceed 10 million tonnes, generating an estimated output value of more than RMB 12 billion and annual tax contributions exceeding RMB 2 billion.

At the ceremony, Dai Lianrong, Chairman of the Board of Directors of BERUN Group, noted that the five-year journey from project initiation to the commissioning of Phase II was marked by numerous challenges and trials. Through overcoming difficulties beyond ordinary expectations, the project has realized the long-held vision of building the world's largest natural soda ash production base for soda ash and baking soda. He emphasized that the Alkaline Project has transformed a once-barren Gobi landscape into a modern industrial hub and an emerging industrial city, becoming the core pillar of BERUN's development. Looking ahead, BERUN will take this milestone as a new starting point, striving to set industry benchmarks in technological innovation, product quality, and industrial branding, while advancing the project toward the goal of becoming a “near-zero carbon enterprise” and contributing to the high-quality development of Alashan and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

Xu Wanming, Party Secretary and Chairman of China Chemical Engineering Second Construction Corporation, delivered remarks on behalf of the participating construction units. He stated that the corporation will continue to fulfill its responsibilities as a central state-owned enterprise and support BERUN's industrial transformation, with the aim of building a globally leading natural soda ash production base.

The commissioning of Phase II of the BERUN Alkaline Project marks the formal launch of a transformative chapter in China's soda ash industry, representing a milestone of historic significance in the sector's century-long development.