China's Jieyang Aims for Trillion-Yuan Petrochemical Hub with New Mega-Project

A media tour, titled the 'Industrial Empowerment · Maritime Ambition-2025 Vibrant Jieyang Tour' and organised by the Jieyang Municipal Party Committee Publicity Department, recently conducted field research at the Jieyang Dananhai Petrochemical Industrial Park. The delegation inspected the Guangdong Petrochemical Refining and Chemical Integration Project, the park's public wharf, and its government service centre exhibition hall, gaining comprehensive insight into the foundations of Jieyang's maritime economy and its new drivers of high-quality development.

Positioned as a key battleground in Guangdong's coastal economic belt, the industrial park is a pivotal link between the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the West Coast Economic Zone. It currently focuses on four core industries: petroleum processing, chemical raw materials and chemical products, chemical fibres, and rubber and plastics, supported by two auxiliary sectors: by-products and halogens. The park reported an industrial output value of RMB 118.619 billion in 2024, with an additional RMB 82.853 billion recorded from January to September 2025.

Chain Master Project Sets Green and Intelligent Benchmark

The delegation's first stop was the Guangdong Petrochemical Refining and Chemical Integration Project, a facility with a total investment exceeding RMB 70.2 billion.

Since commencing full commercial operations two years ago, the project has become a 'super chain master' and the cornerstone of Jieyang's maritime economy. With a designed capacity of 20 million tonnes per year of oil refining, 2.6 million tonnes per year of aromatics, and 1.2 million tonnes per year of ethylene, it is described as a crucial project for national energy security. It is also China's sole refining base capable of fully processing low-quality heavy crude oil, significantly enhancing the flexibility of the country's crude oil imports.

The project emphasises technological self-reliance and is striving to build a cloud-native intelligent factory without information silos. It has been selected as a 'National Intelligent Manufacturing Demonstration Factory' and features the world's largest single-unit aromatics complex. Guided by green principles, it operates China's largest industrial wastewater treatment facility, achieving a reuse rate of over 70%. Its energy consumption for aromatics, ethylene, and the full production process all meet domestic benchmark standards.

Catalysing a Multi-Billion Yuan Industrial Cluster

The Guangdong Petrochemical Refining and Chemical Integration Project is reported to be unleashing a significant catalytic effect on the regional economy.

Over the past two years, the project has driven a 4.7-fold increase in the output value of the green petrochemical industry in Eastern Guangdong. Its operation is expected to catalyse the formation of a mid-to-downstream industrial cluster valued at approximately RMB 560 billion. This development is seen as critical for refining the regional petrochemical industrial chain, supporting Jieyang's ambition to establish a trillion-yuan green petrochemical industrial cluster, and enhancing regional coordinated development within Guangdong.

Within the park's 'one dominant player and multiple strong players' industrial landscape, authorities state a continued commitment to the real economy and manufacturing. The focus is on extending and strengthening industrial chains through targeted investment. A total of 14 high-quality chemical industry projects-including Juzhengyuan, Isco, Dongyue Chemical, Nata, Huadatong, and Kaimeite-have been attracted, with a total planned investment of RMB 48.246 billion and an estimated annual output value of RMB 53.124 billion.

Key milestones include Jilin Petrochemical's 600,000-tonne-per-year ABS facility and the first phase of Dongyue's POX ash residue treatment project, which both entered full production by late February 2023. Dongyue Chemical's globally pioneering deep pyrolysis unit for mixed waste plastics has successfully completed trial production. A green petrochemical value chain, described as transforming 'from a drop of oil to a strand of fibre, from a grain of raw material to a sheet of film', is reported to be rapidly taking shape.

Strategic Ports as a Conduit for Growth

In Jieyang's maritime strategy, ports are highlighted as vital lifelines connecting its industries to global markets.

At the construction site of the park's public wharf, Liu Shunquan, General Manager of Jieyang Dananhai Port Co., Ltd., informed the delegation that the Dananhai Port Area serves as a key gateway for Jieyang's industrial development and a core node for integrating the chemical industry chain with maritime logistics. The public wharf is dedicated to serving the water transport needs of port-adjacent industries, providing a strategic channel for the deep integration of transportation logistics and industrial development in areas like the Huilailin Port Industrial Park and Jieyang High-Tech Zone. This is stated to effectively reduce comprehensive logistics costs for enterprises and provide a solid foundation for regional coordinated development.