Huizhou has cemented its position as a global petrochemical powerhouse with the inauguration of a state-of-the-art product innovation center by CNOOC and Shell Petrochemicals Company Limited (CSPC). The strategic facility, unveiled Wednesday in Guangdong province, represents a significant milestone in China’s energy sector development and regional economic transformation.
The newly established center spans over 7,000 square meters of construction space and features more than 170 sets of internationally advanced equipment. According to officials from Huizhou Daya Bay Economic and Technological Development Zone, this investment creates a comprehensive industrial ecosystem that integrates production, innovation, and market distribution—signaling a major advancement in high-end petrochemical manufacturing capabilities.
This development culminates 25 years of continuous partnership between the energy giants in Daya Bay, beginning with Phase I groundbreaking in 2002, followed by Phase II commissioning in 2018, and currently ongoing Phase III projects focusing on ethylene and polycarbonate production. The collaboration has generated over 100 billion yuan ($14.1 billion) in cumulative investment, substantially contributing to Huizhou’s emergence as a global petrochemical hub and supporting Guangdong province’s positioning as a high-quality development growth pole.
CSPC CEO Ryan Wong emphasized the strategic necessity of the innovation center, noting that the company’s 20-year development journey has established substantial scale advantages including 3.8 million metric tons of ethylene production capacity and nearly 500 supporting upstream and downstream enterprises. Wong specifically praised the local government’s supportive business environment, highlighting dedicated task forces for accelerated approvals, industry-university-research cooperation frameworks, and continuous infrastructure improvements that have created ideal conditions for innovation-driven growth.
The public-private collaboration model—where government provides institutional support while enterprises drive technological advancement—has proven particularly effective in Huizhou’s case. This synergy continues to attract substantial foreign investment while advancing China’s broader objectives in energy security and high-end manufacturing capabilities within the petrochemical sector.