Menu
On October 30, 2025, the first batch of chemical products from the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) Guangxi Petrochemical Refining and Chemical Integration Transformation and Upgrading Project were officially shipped out, marking the full completion and commissioning of this major national project with a total investment of over 30 billion yuan (RMB). As a key project of CNPC's "14th Five-Year Plan," this project not only ended the history of Southwest China's long-term reliance on imports for high-end chemical raw materials, but also set a benchmark for the transformation and upgrading of the petrochemical industry with its "two-year construction period and zero accidents" speed.
In the Qinzhou Port Economic and Technological Development Zone of Guangxi, tower cranes stand tall across the 300-hectare factory area, crisscrossed by silver pipelines. At 9:45 a.m. that day, as Li Congjia, Deputy Director of the China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park Management Committee, Tian Wenjun, Deputy General Manager of China National Petroleum Corporation Guangxi Petrochemical Company, and Zhang Zhongchen, Deputy General Manager of China National Petroleum Corporation South China Chemical Sales Company, pressed the start button, eight heavy trucks loaded with high-end chemical raw materials such as polyethylene and polypropylene slowly drove out.
"This is not only a milestone for Guangxi Petrochemical, but also a historic leap for the petrochemical industry in Southwest China," said Tian Wenjun, Deputy General Manager of China National Petroleum Corporation Guangxi Petrochemical Company, at the scene. He explained that after the project reaches full production capacity, it will be able to produce 1.2 million tons of ethylene annually, with 16 sets of production units, converting 50% of the fuel used in traditional oil refineries into chemical products.
Behind this transformation lies a breakthrough in overcoming the industrial predicament of "more oil than chemicals." Data shows that China's self-sufficiency rate for high-end chemical materials is less than 40%, and some high-end polyolefins and elastomers have long relied on imports. China National Petroleum Corporation's Guangxi Petrochemical Company has built the world's first diesel adsorption separation unit, converting heavy components in crude oil into high-value-added chemical raw materials, increasing raw material utilization by 15 percentage points. "It's like turning 'black gold' into 'white gold' in the same workshop," the project's technical leader aptly described.
The project, spanning two years and encompassing both typhoon and rainy seasons, saw the construction team set numerous industry records. Employing a modular construction model of "one site + N factories," large equipment was prefabricated off-site before being assembled as a whole, effectively reducing overlapping operations and improving construction efficiency. In the 9-kilometer-long utility tunnel construction area, the traditional on-site single-column, single-beam installation method was completely overturned. "We assembled the utility tunnel into modular units in the prefabrication yard and then transported them to the site for assembly, which not only reduced a significant amount of high-altitude work but also improved construction efficiency," explained Xu Jianshu, the project management manager. Through factory prefabrication and modular construction, the construction team transferred most of the construction processes to paved surfaces or prefabrication yards, reducing the occupation of on-site roads and land, and minimizing the impact of construction on the surrounding environment, becoming a typical example of civilized construction.
At Qinzhou Port, 30 kilometers from the factory, containers loaded with polyethylene granules are being shipped out via the Western Land-Sea New Corridor. Zhang Zhongchen, Deputy General Manager of South China Chemical Sales Company, explained, "Our products radiate throughout the Southwest and South China economic circles, enabling automobile factories in the Southwest to use locally produced high-end automotive plastics, and allowing Southeast Asian customers to place orders simultaneously."
This radiating effect is already evident: Hengyi Petrochemical plans to invest an additional 5 billion yuan in Qinzhou to build a modified materials base; Sun Yat-sen University, in conjunction with Guangxi Petrochemical, is jointly building a green chemical research institute, which is expected to incubate 30 technology-based SMEs within five years. Data from the China-Malaysia Industrial Park Management Committee shows that the project has created 8,000 new local jobs and is expected to boost regional GDP growth by 1.2 percentage points by 2025.
The transformation of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) Guangxi Petrochemical Company reflects the deep-seated logic of the coordinated development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Beibu Gulf city cluster. Relying on the Western Land-Sea New Corridor, Qinzhou is transforming from a former border fishing port into an international gateway port, and CNPC Guangxi Petrochemical Company's integrated refining and chemical transformation and upgrading project acts as a powerful heart, injecting surging momentum into the regional economic cycle. As the morning whistles of cargo ships and the evening birds fly over the factory area, a modern industrial landscape of "green mountains and clear waters are invaluable assets" is slowly unfolding on the shores of the South China Sea.
