The city of Dazhou in Sichuan Province is undergoing a significant industrial transformation. Once famed as the "Gas Capital of China," this established industrial center is now charting a new course by building upon its resource foundation, steering towards intelligent and green development to revitalize its traditional economic pillars.

Pursuing Innovation, Embracing Green Solutions, and Turning Waste into Wealth

At the Dazhou High-tech Industrial Development Zone, real-time data from four generating units flashes across a large screen in the central control room of Sichuan Investment (Dazhou) Gas Power Generation Co., Ltd. In February of this year, the No. 4 unit of the second phase commenced commercial operation, bringing the total installed capacity to 2.18 million kilowatts. This makes it Sichuan's largest natural gas-fired power project, with an annual output of approximately 6 billion kilowatt-hours, serving as crucial peak-shaving support for the power grid.

"Gas power generation is significantly cleaner and has higher thermal efficiency than coal-fired generation," explained Zhang Jinliang, head of the power generation department. The plant is advancing intelligent upgrades; with the introduction of AI algorithms, the system can now provide early warnings, potentially reducing the staff required for monitoring per shift from 14 to just one in the future.

This operation is underpinned by Dazhou's substantial natural gas reserves, with estimated resources of 3.8 trillion cubic meters and an annual production of around 12 billion cubic meters. As the starting point of the national "West-to-East Gas Pipeline" project, Dazhou historically exported most of its gas. Now, through local gas-fired power stations, it achieves nearby conversion. The second phase alone consumes about 650 million cubic meters of natural gas annually to generate 3.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity.

In Shiti Town and Shiqiao Town of Dachuan District, the Shuangshi Cogeneration Circular Economy Park, spanning over 1,130 hectares, is rising from the ground. Its core is the under-construction Dazhou Coal Power Project, with its first phase slated for operation in September 2027. The principle of the circular economy here is "turning waste into treasure." Once both phases of the power plant are operational, they will annually produce 2.7 million tons of steam, 2.2 million tons of fly ash, and 1 million tons of gypsum as by-products.

Previously, disposing of such industrial solid waste incurred high costs and environmental pressure. Now, these materials are being transformed into usable raw materials, acting as a "magnet" to attract downstream enterprises. The park's planning focuses on industrial clusters led by food & daily chemicals & pharmaceuticals, textiles & dyeing, papermaking & packaging, and new green building materials. Currently, the park has secured six key potential enterprises in negotiations, involving total investments exceeding 4 billion yuan.

Transforming Traditional Minerals into Local Value

In the Dazhou High-tech Zone, the workshop of Sichuan Juyuan Basalt Fiber Technology Co., Ltd. (referred to as Juyuan Basalt Fiber) showcases the process of "turning stone into thread." Ore is ground into powder, melted into a liquid state in a kiln exceeding a thousand degrees Celsius, and then drawn through a bushing into fibers finer than a human hair.

"We used to spin yarn and silk; now we 'spin stone'," said a company representative. The machinery can draw 2,400 filaments simultaneously, each with a diameter of only 22 micrometers. By adjusting the sizing agent, these fibers gain properties like high-temperature resistance and corrosion resistance.

Basalt fiber is hailed as a "green material for the 21st century," with wide applications in aerospace, deep-sea pipelines, photovoltaic brackets, and more. Currently, Juyuan Basalt Fiber's order book is filled through the end of 2026.

The new materials landscape is expanding further. The Dazhou High-tech Zone has attracted enterprises like Lithium White New Materials Technology (Dazhou) Co., Ltd., which produces lithium battery cathode materials. Leveraging the region's abundant lithium and potassium resources for local raw material supply, the sector's output value is projected to exceed 1.5 billion yuan by 2026. Additionally, a 100-hectare chemical industrial site is planned for a New Energy Polymer Film Materials Industrial Park, with a total investment of 4 billion yuan. In 2025, the total output value of the new materials industry in Dazhou High-tech Zone reached 1.95 billion yuan, nearly ten times the figure from 2021.

Taking Mountain Treasures to Global Markets

Shifting focus from industry to agriculture, premium products from the deep mountains are also adding value. Wanyuan City in Dazhou is located within one of China's three major selenium-rich belts, producing geographical indication products like Jiuyuan Black Chickens and selenium-rich tea. However, long-term reliance on selling primary raw materials meant "good products didn't fetch good prices," a persistent challenge.

Change is underway. In recent years, the local area has introduced intelligent production lines, improved deep-processing techniques like freeze-drying and extraction, actively tapped into overseas markets, and bolstered regional public brands, gradually gaining a foothold in the international market.

At Sichuan Bashanqing Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd., tea-making equipment operates at full capacity, with crates of green tea ready for shipment abroad. "This year's export orders total 2,000 tons, basically requiring a truck shipment every three to five days," said company head Pu Sailan.

Outside the workshop, a fully automatic intelligent tea beverage machine draws attention. Integrating automated tea making, smart menu selection, and mobile payment, this machine uses freeze-drying extraction technology to prepare 32 different flavored drinks, enabling 24-hour unmanned sales. According to Pu Sailan, these machines have already been deployed in several domestic tourist sites and have secured letters of intent for 500 units from countries and regions including Uzbekistan and Russia.

The transition from exporting tea leaves to exporting tea machines marks Wanyuan's tea industry extension from traditional processing towards intelligent manufacturing. Wanyuan currently has 16,800 hectares of selenium-rich tea gardens. In 2025, it produced 13,000 tons of tea, with a comprehensive output value surpassing 2.32 billion yuan. In the first quarter of this year, Wanyuan's green tea export value exceeded 11 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 36%.

The black chicken industry is also accelerating. Wanyuan, in collaboration with the Sichuan Cotton & Hemp Group, is building a core breeding farm and a cold-chain processing industrial park to establish a complete industrial chain encompassing "research, breeding, farming, processing, and sales." The breeding farm focuses on genetic research, standardized farming ensures quality, and deep-processing extends the product line. Innovatively, a "Cloud Chicken Farming" digital center for the Bailipo Jiuyuan Black Chicken was created. Through base livestreams and online adoption models, consumers can view the rearing process, transforming the black chicken from an agricultural product into an interactive consumer experience.

Currently, Wanyuan has designated 21 townships for Jiuyuan Black Chicken industry development, established 68 new types of business entities, and cultivated 12 standardized demonstration farms. In 2025, the cumulative output of Jiuyuan Black Chickens reached 6.18 million birds, with 5,880 tons of commercial eggs produced, generating an output value of nearly 1.3 billion yuan.

Wanyuan also plans to construct the Dabashan Selenium-rich Industrial Park. Covering 8.67 hectares, the park will primarily host deep-processing and research & incubation functions for black chickens, tea, and other products. Upon full completion, it is expected to house 15 to 20 enterprises, achieve an industrial output value of around 2 billion yuan, and create or support employment for over 1,000 people.