A development zone in eastern Guangdong is positioning itself as a low-cost, low-carbon manufacturing hub following its designation as one of the province's inaugural zero-carbon industrial parks.
Established in 1993, the Chaozhou Port Economic Development Zone encompasses the Chaozhou New Materials Industrial Park, a key site selected for the provincial initiative. Local authorities are set to host an investment promotion event in Guangzhou this month, focusing on the new materials sector.
Located in Raoping County at the border of Guangdong and Fujian provinces, the zone benefits from proximity to Chaozhou Port—a Class A open port offering direct shipping routes to Taiwan (China) and various international destinations. The port is situated less than 20 nautical miles from major international shipping lanes.
The area is well-connected by several expressways, including the Shenyang–Haikou, Ningbo–Dongguan, and Dapu–Chaozhou routes, with a dedicated Chaozhou Port branch of the Shenyang–Haikou Expressway currently in the planning stages. Two high-speed railways, the Xiamen–Shenzhen and Zhangzhou–Shantou lines, serve Raoping. Upon completion, the Zhangzhou–Shantou railway will reduce travel times to Xiamen and Zhangzhou to just one hour, and to Guangzhou and Shenzhen to two hours.
The zone boasts 136 kilometers of coastline, including 26.6 kilometers designated for port facilities, with only 4.5 kilometers currently developed. Its deep-water harbor is capable of accommodating berths for vessels up to 300,000 tons.
The zone provides an integrated supply of thermal, cooling, and electric power. Steam prices are highly competitive within Guangdong, starting at 185 yuan per ton (pre-tax). Additionally, the Sinopec Huaying LNG Terminal generates approximately 5 million gigajoules of cold energy annually at temperatures as low as -160°C, providing ideal conditions for cold-chain logistics and industrial gas production.
Four onshore wind farms are currently operational, with a combined capacity of 197 MW and an annual output of approximately 400 million kWh. A proposed 2,000 MW offshore wind farm is expected to generate an additional 7 billion kWh annually.
The four industrial parks within the zone span a planned area of 25.67 square kilometers, with over 2,700 hectares of industrial land ready for development.
Author | Feng Huiting
Photo | Nanfang Plus
