According to news from the Bureau of Economy
and Information Technology in Yichang city, Hubei province on December 5, 38
chemical enterprises have been shut down in Yichang city since 2017. 7 chemical
enterprises have completely switched to producing nonchemical products. As a
result, the plan to shut down chemical enterprises along the Yangtze River has
been completed.
Yichang city is located in the upper and
middle reaches of the Yangtse River. Yichang city is also rich in minerals and
water. With its convenient transportation and abundant resources, many chemical
enterprises are distributed along the riverside, which causes serious
environmental problems. It is vital to protect the water from the Yangtse River
from being contaminated. In September 2017, the government of Yichang city
launched a plan for industrial transformation and upgrade, and aimed to
relocate 134 chemical enterprises to other places within three years in order
to keep the water in the Yangtze River clean.
So far, 38 chemical enterprises have been
shut down, including the 34 chemical enterprises which were on the shutdown
list and another 4 new chemical enterprises. Among the 57 chemical enterprises
which are planned to switch to producing nonchemical products, 52 chemical
enterprises have successfully completed 59 technology transformation projects,
while three chemical enterprises are in progress and two are completely closed.
Another 36 chemical enterprises are planned to move to the chemical industrial
zone. 18 chemical enterprises have successfully moved to this zone, apart from
two enterprises which are calling for a shutdown. 7 chemical enterprises have
switched to producing nonchemical products.
Yangtze River shutdown spurs upgrades
and development in chemical industry
Transforming and upgrading industries in
Yichang is a great opportunity for this city. Two chemical industrial parks,
namely Yidu Chemical industrial park and Zhijiang Yaojiagang chemical
industrial park, have been built with high standards. Projects and construction
promote the development of the chemical industry in Yichang. The chemical
industry in Yichang will enter a new phase of being more precise, environmentally
friendly and international.
From January to October 2019, the gross
value of industrial output of 80 chemical enterprises in Yichang has reached to
RMB 62.5 billion, which is an increase of 11.9% compared to the same period
last year. The annual production volume of phosphamidon in Yichang is strictly less
than 6 million tons. Fine chemical production accounts for 35% of the chemical
industry in the city, which accounted only 13.2% of the chemical industry in
2016.
Yichang’s natural phosphate supply
brought chemical industries to the Yangtse
According to the information released by
Chinese authorities, Yichang holds 2.7 billion tons of phosphate rock
resources, accounting for 61.3% of all phosphate rock resources in Hubei
province and 13.6% of all phosphate rock resources in China. Yichang ranks
second in total ore volume out of the eight major phosphorus mining areas in
China. Over the past ten years, different sizes of chemical enterprises have
been built in Yichang alongside the Yangtse River. In general, the closer a
chemical enterprise is built to the Yangtse River, the more economic benefit it
might gain. Additionally, some merchants considered the Yangtse River as a
natural place for releasing effluent. Drains for releasing effluent from the
chemical enterprises were built privately, causing environmental contamination.
In 2016, the gross productive value of the
chemical industry accounted for 30.6% of the city’s industrial output. Also, in
2016, the government of Yichang began its implementation of the plan for
industrial transformation and upgrade.
For more information on China’s chemicals
market, please check our chemicals market
research.