Global Largest Electronic Fiberglass Production Line Ignited: China Jushi Seizes High-end Electronic Base Material Opportunity

China Geology Reporter Wu Jing, Lu Zhikun, Huai’an Report

On March 18, with the successful ignition of China Geology Huai’an’s annual 100,000-ton electronic glass fiber and 390 million meters of electronic fabric production line, the construction of the world’s first zero-carbon intelligent manufacturing base for glass fiber has entered a new stage.

According to reporters from China Business Journal, this is not only a key step in China Geology’s journey to build the second-largest comprehensive production base for coarse and fine yarns globally, but also a landmark event in the new materials industry’s response to the national “dual carbon” strategy and exploration of green sustainable development.

At a critical point when global climate governance is deepening and China’s 14th Five-Year Plan shifts toward “dual control of carbon emissions,” China Geology is using the Huai’an base as a pivot to attempt to establish a micro-industry cycle from “green electricity manufacturing glass fiber” to “glass fiber creating green electricity.” Can this new path truly solve the core pain points of green transformation in high-energy-consuming industries?

From “Energy Consumer” to “Green Electricity Feedback”

It is understood that the production process of glass fiber involves mineral melting, high-temperature drawing, and other steps, which consume a lot of energy, making it a typical energy-dependent industry. How to ensure steady capacity growth while achieving “near-zero emissions” has been a common challenge for the global glass fiber industry.

China Geology Huai’an’s zero-carbon intelligent manufacturing base proposes a solution: stepping out of the factory view of circulation, deeply integrating the production base with new energy projects, and building a closed-loop green energy system.

This base is not an isolated glass fiber production unit but is deeply linked with supporting wind power new energy projects. On the North Jiangsu Plain, numerous wind turbines over 180 meters tall turn with the wind. All blades are made from glass fiber produced by China Geology. The green electricity generated, aside from directly supplying the glass fiber production, is fed into the national grid.

The supporting Phase I 233 MW wind power project has been stable and connected to the grid for over a year, with 47 turbines generating over 600 million kWh annually, reducing carbon emissions by over 400,000 tons; the Phase II wind power project, with an annual generation of about 1.24 billion kWh, can offset approximately 1 million tons of carbon emissions.

Yang Guoming, Party Secretary and General Manager of China Geology, summarized this model as: “From producing glass fiber to using glass fiber, and then creating green energy to feedback into glass fiber,” a new sustainable development path. This is not only an innovation on the energy supply side but also means that glass fiber products are marked with a green label from inception. Through this “green micro-cycle,” the base has achieved 100% green electricity coverage for glass fiber production, fundamentally changing the energy consumption structure of traditional high-energy-consuming industries.

In addition to wind power, China Geology Huai’an is also promoting integrated building photovoltaic BIPV construction, with energy storage facilities supporting the wind farm. More notably, the base has pioneered industry testing of hydrogen-blended natural gas combustion in kilns, exploring ways to further reduce fossil fuel consumption. Through a multi-energy complementary green energy supply system of “wind, solar, hydrogen, storage,” the base addresses the carbon emission challenges at the source, giving each glass fiber a “carbon-neutral” identity.

By 2025, four types of glass fiber products at the base have passed SGS carbon footprint certification, proactively preparing for future green trade barriers such as EU carbon tariffs. These series of innovative practices not only explore a replicable zero-carbon path for the glass fiber industry but also provide a “Chinese solution” for the green transformation of high-energy-consuming industries worldwide.

Seizing the High-End Electronic Substrate Market

It is understood that this ignition line is not only the largest electronic-grade glass fiber production line globally but also accounts for about 9% of the global electronic fabric market share. The project integrates advanced technologies such as self-developed high-performance glass formulations, ultra-large tank kilns, self-made key raw materials, and intelligent manufacturing, with 100% independent intellectual property rights.

In response to media questions, Yang Guoming stated that the special feature of this production line is its upgrade toward high-end products. The product plan focuses on high-end electronic substrates such as ultrafine yarns and ultra-thin fabrics. This means that some high-end electronic substrates, previously only at the laboratory sample stage, will be mass-produced and stabilized at the Huai’an base.

Zhou Yuxian, Party Secretary and Chairman of China National Building Material Group, pointed out that electronic-grade glass fiber is a fundamental material for the digital economy. As the core substrate for printed circuit boards (PCBs), it directly determines the dielectric performance, thermal expansion coefficient, and reliability of PCBs, thereby affecting the high-speed transmission of massive data in AI servers and the precise coordination of humanoid robots. Without high-end electronic fabric, there are no high-performance PCBs, and the digital economy’s computing power needs cannot be met.

Data shows that China Geology’s share of the global electronic glass fiber market has reached 23%, and the new line is expected to further increase this share after commissioning. More importantly, the construction of this line coincides with a booming period for the electronic information industry. With rapid development of AI servers, high-capacity chips, and high-frequency communications, demand for electronic-grade glass fiber is growing rapidly, contributing significantly to industry chain stability and supply.

Gu Guijiang, General Manager of China Geology Investment Strategy Department and Director of the Science and Technology Development Center, explained that choosing Huai’an for investment has a clear industrial logic. Jiangsu Province’s electronic information industry accounts for over 50% of the Yangtze River Delta and about 15% of the country. Particularly in Huai’an, the electronic circuit board industry has a solid foundation. Alongside China Geology’s investment in electronic glass fiber, its customers have also invested in copper-clad laminate projects, forming a complete industry chain from electronic glass fiber to copper-clad laminates in Huai’an.

Liu Changlei, Secretary-General of the China Glass Fiber Industry Association, pointed out that there are still bottlenecks in the high-end electronic information materials sector. First, energy consumption and related policy constraints have led some glass fiber projects to be classified under “dual high” control, facing strict approval processes. Second, there is a shortage of high-end equipment, with key devices like jet looms and tension controllers overly dependent on imports, extending delivery cycles. The practice of China Geology Huai’an’s zero-carbon intelligent factory sets a benchmark for reducing overall product energy consumption in the industry; simultaneously, the association is promoting precise matching between textile equipment companies and glass fiber product companies to accelerate domestic substitution of high-end equipment.

(Edited by Lu Zhikun; Reviewed by Tong Haihua; Proofread by Wan Ling)