Developing new productive forces suited to local conditions | The "new" glow of the non-ferrous metals industry

Originally from: Xinhua News Agency

From the banks of the Qilian Mountains to the shores of the Yellow River, the four regions of Jinchang, Baiyin, Lanzhou, and Wuwei, located in the heartland of Longyuan, are linked by the non-ferrous metal industry, forming a fist with clustered momentum, helping Gansu achieve a breakthrough in the national advanced manufacturing industry cluster.

From the driving force of two provincial state-owned enterprise leaders to the linkage of over 340 small and medium-sized enterprises, from leading the country in scale and strength to reaching world-class R&D capabilities, from key mineral resource production bases to highlands of non-ferrous metal industry development, the non-ferrous metal industries of Jinchang, Baiyin, Lanzhou, and Wuwei shine with a “new” glow, vividly demonstrating Gansu’s tailored development of new productive forces and the creation of a modern industrial system.

Stringing beads into a chain: Deepening industry clusters

Below Longshou Mountain in the Hexi Corridor, dark ores shining with metallic luster are mined from over 1,000 meters underground. After smelting, electrolysis, and other processes at Jinchuan Group Co., Ltd., they become nickel plates shining with silver-white, cobalt plates with grayish-silver, and copper plates with golden hue, produced in an orderly manner from different workshops.

Inside Jinchuan Nickel Capital Industrial Co., Ltd., ultra-thin pure copper strips with a metallic sheen are slowly rolled off. (Photo provided by interviewee)

Jinchuan Group ranks second in the world for nickel production, fourth for cobalt, and third for copper, with the world’s third-largest sulfide copper-nickel ore deposit, helping China escape the “nickel poverty” situation, making Jinchang a shining “treasure basin” in northwest China.

On the banks of the Yellow River, Baiyin, more than 300 kilometers from Jinchang, is also a “copper city” established around mineral resources and industry. Baiyin Nonferrous Group Co., Ltd. has obvious advantages in copper, lead, zinc, and other non-ferrous metals industries.

“Previously, the two regions and two enterprises had similar businesses and were in competition in some fields, which restricted the release of Gansu’s non-ferrous metal industry efficiency,” said Zhang Yangcai, director of the Development and Reform Commission of Jinchang. The original intention of leading the effort to build the Jinchang-Baiyin-Lanzhou-Wuwei non-ferrous metal industry cluster was to reduce internal competition, while fully leveraging Lanzhou’s research and development capacity, which gathers over 70% of the province’s scientific resources, and Wuwei’s industrial development space, stringing beads into a chain to form a joint force.

Clear positioning allows for targeted efforts. In this blueprint, Jinchang and Baiyin serve as core engines, Lanzhou as the R&D and production base, and Wuwei as the transformation and application base.

One deployment, nine implementations. The high-level promotion by Gansu Provincial Party Committee and Government has made the nickel-cobalt-copper new material industry the top industry in the province, establishing a dedicated task force to promote cluster development.

With the participation of more than 20 universities and research institutes, over 120 key laboratories, and numerous industry enterprises, the “vision map” has become a “real scene.” By the end of 2024, the Jinchang-Baiyin-Lanzhou-Wuwei non-ferrous metal cluster will be included in the 2024 list of national advanced manufacturing industry clusters. By 2025, the cluster’s output value will exceed 380 billion yuan, with a year-on-year growth of about 30%.

Fist clenched: Key fields breaking out strongly

Entering the Heavy Ion Center at Wuwei Tumor Hospital in Gansu Province, medical physicists are using the country’s first domestically developed medical heavy ion accelerator with independent intellectual property rights, constructing the human organ spatial structure in real-time with high-precision 3D modeling systems, analyzing tumor locations, and formulating optimal treatment plans.

In March 2026, inside the Heavy Ion Center at Wuwei Tumor Hospital, medical physicists are diagnosing and analyzing patients. (Photo provided by interviewee)

This clinical application marks China as the fourth country in the world to possess independent research and clinical application capabilities for heavy ion therapy systems. However, the key component material for medical heavy ion accelerators—high-purity oxygen-free copper—long relied on imports.

To change this situation, Jinchuan Group, Lanzhou Taiji Ion Technology Co., Ltd., and Lanzhou University of Technology jointly tackled the problem, successfully producing high-purity 4N5 oxygen-free copper plates and strips, accelerating the industrialization of medical heavy ion accelerators.

“The establishment of the cluster aims to realize advantages and complementary strengths among regions and enterprises, solving a series of industry development challenges,” said Jin Hongxiang, deputy general manager of strategic planning at Jinchuan Group. This breakthrough also relies on the “attack-platform-talent” integrated innovation system built through cluster development.

Currently, the cluster has established 34 national-level technological innovation platforms, attracted over 20 academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and has become an important production base for nickel-cobalt-based new materials in China, with product systems, industrial chains, and comprehensive technological levels leading the country.

The 0.05 mm thick “hand-tear nickel” fills a domestic gap and is exported overseas; the 3.5-micron thick “hand-tear copper” sets industry records; the 0.012 mm diameter ultra-fine electromagnetic wire reaches international advanced manufacturing levels… Various high-precision products break through from here and go global.

Wei Lili, professor at Lanzhou University School of Economics, said that the Jinchang-Baiyin-Lanzhou-Wuwei non-ferrous metal industry cluster is based on its own resource endowment, serving national strategic needs, while extending and strengthening the chain, accelerating technological innovation, and promoting integrated development. Through clenched fists, it achieves breakthroughs in key technologies.

Quenching into steel: Synergistic improvement of “three transformations”

Walking into the mining site, deep into production workshops, or visiting R&D institutions, it’s easy to see that after the cluster’s establishment, Jinchang-Baiyin-Wuwei is continuously advancing the “three transformations” of high-end, intelligent, and green development, accelerating from a key mineral resource production base to a highland of non-ferrous metal industry.

Moving toward high-end, promoting comprehensive industry blooming—

In Jinchang, raw materials previously sold at low prices are now processed locally into “materials,” doubling their value, becoming hot commodities for new energy power batteries; in Lanzhou, Lanzhou Lanshi Group’s key equipment and integrated solutions cover the entire hydrogen energy “production-storage-transportation-adding-use” industry chain; Lanzhou Jinchuan Technology Park’s efforts on China VI standard automotive exhaust catalysts pre-cursors hold over 40% market share… Currently, the cluster has cultivated 2 national manufacturing single champions, 9 specialized and innovative “little giant” enterprises, and 121 national high-tech enterprises.

In January 2026, inside the advanced-level intelligent factory of Lanshi Group’s large heat exchange equipment, robotic arms are performing sheet pressing operations. (Photo provided by interviewee)

Focusing on intelligence, promoting quality and efficiency—

Baiyin Group’s Northwest Lead and Zinc Smelting Plant has built a “5G+” digital workshop, increasing labor productivity fourfold; Lanzhou Lanshi Group has established 3 smart factories, 9 digital workshops, and 6 intelligent production lines, with key process CNC rates reaching 65%; Gansu Hailiang New Energy Materials Co., Ltd., in cooperation with JD Industrial Internet Platform, has built a digital supply chain, reducing procurement cycles from 1-2 weeks to 2-3 days…

“Currently, over 60% of key business links in the cluster are digitalized,” said Wang Enfu, director of the Jinchang Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology. By integrating 5G, big data, artificial intelligence, and other new-generation technologies with nickel-cobalt-copper mining, processing, smelting, and deep processing, the cluster’s digital and intelligent level has reached a domestic first-class level.

Focusing on green development, promoting energy saving and carbon reduction—

Jinchuan Group Nickel and Cobalt Co., Ltd.’s nickel smelting plant independently developed top-side recirculation blowing furnace technology, increasing system capacity by 30%, reducing comprehensive energy consumption by 40%, and lowering dust emissions by 20%; Gansu Hailiang improved processes, reducing CO2 emissions per kilogram of copper foil by 90% compared to traditional methods; Jinchang annually produces millions of tons of sulfuric acid and chlor-alkali waste calcium carbide slag, which previously required costly transportation for export, but now, through local absorption by companies like Gansu Baililian Chemical Co., Ltd., the “burden” has been turned into a “wealth” for development… Currently, the cluster has 6 national green parks and 11 green factories.

Han Xianming, director of the Gansu Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, said that Gansu will continue to strengthen the chain and gather clusters through more practical pathways, using a “national-level leadership—provincial support—specialized expansion” cluster tiered cultivation system, ensuring that various advanced production factors flow smoothly into the field of new productive forces, creating more advanced industrial clusters.