Petrochemical industry

As one of the pillar industries of Guangxi's economy, the petrochemical industry plays a vital role in the region’s industrial system, and it is among the hundred-billion-yuan industries in Guangxi.  In the last decade, the petrochemical industry has fueled strong growth due to structural adjustment and industrial upgrading.

Boasting 615 petrochemical enterprises above designated size, the gross output of Guangxi’s petrochemical industry totaled 270.8 billion yuan ($40.34 billion) in 2017, a year-on-year growth of 19.4 percent. The city of Qinzhou, which lies at the center of the Beibu Gulf Economic Zone, is China’s key area for the development of the petrochemical industry. The city has introduced many major petrochemical projects, like PetroChina’s 10 million metric tons of petroleum refining project. Additionally, Shanghai Huayi Qinzhou New Chemical Materials Integrative Base is under construction, and a relatively complete industrial chain of arene and olefin has taken shape. Through these efforts, Qinzhou has developed into the largest energy and chemical industry base in the southwest coastal areas.

In order to promote the comprehensive strength and core competitiveness of its petrochemical industry, Guangxi has accelerated the integration of the oil refining industry, carrying out policies to set up a modern and sound chemical industry system.

Focusing on the development of base production, intellectualization,  and greening, Guangxi has placed emphasis on petroleum refining and down-stream products in the coal chemical industry. The region will foster the industry chains of petroleum refining, bitumen, rubber, chemical fibers, and fertilizers, while also improving its down-stream products, including arene, ethylene, propylene, and carbon, as well as further promote the research and development of methyl alcohol products, acetic acid, and glycol series of products to advance the building of the Qinzhou Poly-generation Base.

At the same time, Guangxi will increase efforts for technological innovation and the industrial transformation of chemical enterprises in Liuzhou and Hechi, such as striving to develop efficient and special fertilizers, as well as new liquid fertilizers to expand the chemical fertilizer industry. Additionally, the region will drive the development of rubber products like high-end tires in Guilin and Liuzhou to set up rubber processing bases in the northern part of Guangxi. It is expected that by 2020, the gross output of the petrochemical industry will exceed 320 billion yuan.