SunSirs: China Aims to Establish Around 100 Zero-Carbon Industrial Parks in Next Five-Year Plan

According to China Energy Network, during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China strives to establish around 100 national-level zero-carbon industrial parks, creating significant development opportunities for green and low-carbon industries.

A green transformation is accelerating. However, zero-carbon parks are not merely the simple aggregation of individual technologies or projects; they represent complex systems engineering involving energy, industry, mechanisms, and management. As the concept transitions from theory to vigorous practice, a series of deep-seated challenges are emerging: How can the current construction achievements be objectively measured? How can the concerted efforts of parks, enterprises, power grids, and other stakeholders be mobilized to explore technically feasible and economically viable implementation pathways?

Demonstrating Vigorous Development Momentum

A zero-carbon industrial park refers to a facility that, through planning, design, technology, and management, reduces carbon dioxide emissions from production and daily life to “near-zero” levels while possessing the conditions to further achieve “net-zero.” The 2024 Central Economic Work Conference called for “establishing a number of zero-carbon industrial parks,” and the 2025 Government Work Report reiterated this mandate, rapidly elevating it to a focal point.

From the grasslands of Inner Mongolia to the water towns of Jiangsu, from the Hainan Free Trade Port to the Sichuan Basin, regions across the country have embraced zero-carbon park development as a key driver of green transformation, launching a series of proactive explorations. Many localities have successively introduced regional standards or industry regulations, demonstrating vigorous development momentum. However, amid this construction boom, issues such as inconsistent standards and varying levels of implementation have gradually emerged.

In June this year, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the National Energy Administration jointly issued the “Notice on Promoting Zero-Carbon Park Development.” This marks the first time systematic guidance has been provided at the national level for zero-carbon park construction, establishing clear requirements and unified measurement standards. It signifies that zero-carbon park development has entered a substantive advancement phase.

Why is the construction of zero-carbon industrial parks being given such high priority and vigorous promotion?

In the view of Mengna You, Deputy Director of the China Office at the Natural Resources Defense Council, zero-carbon industrial parks serve as “testing grounds” for demand-side resource coordination. By enabling real-time matching of energy supply and demand through low-carbon methods, they not only directly reduce overall energy consumption and carbon emissions within the park but also offer valuable flexibility services to the power grid.

“Historically, energy-rich regions with low energy costs saw limited corporate motivation for energy efficiency upgrades. Now, with products increasingly tied to ‘carbon costs,’ energy conservation and carbon reduction have become economically viable—even profitable—options,” notes Xin Sheng, Secretary-General of the China Energy Conservation Association. Zero-carbon parks establish low-cost, low-carbon energy supply models that foster complementary advantages between eastern and western regions in energy and industry, injecting new momentum into regional development.

Zero-carbon industrial parks represent a systemic initiative to enhance international competitiveness. Zhang Ming, Product Development Director at Envision Energy's Zero-Carbon Industrial Park, highlighted that at the product level, these parks help enterprises overcome international trade barriers like the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) by reducing product carbon footprints. At the corporate level, they leverage direct green power connections and high-proportion green electricity adoption to assist companies in achieving RE100 goals and supply chain carbon neutrality requirements, significantly boosting brand image and market competitiveness. At the park level, zero-carbon parks create green electricity cost basins that not only reduce production factor costs but also transform green electricity from a mere commodity into a cornerstone supporting industrial development. This shifts the focus from “selling green electricity” to “attracting industries,” fostering industrial agglomeration effects.

Numerous Challenges Remain

Despite widespread enthusiasm for zero-carbon park development, numerous practical challenges persist during implementation. Industry insiders acknowledge a common misconception equating zero-carbon parks solely with “wind/solar + energy storage” projects. Some regions even exhibit “labeling and hat-wearing” tendencies—a practice that, if unchecked, could lead to zero-carbon park development becoming detached from practical realities.

Three critical issues must be addressed in zero-carbon park development: First is the stable supply of green energy. Achieving efficient coordination between distributed and centralized wind power, photovoltaics, and other clean energy sources to meet enterprises' stringent power quality requirements relies on continuous improvements to the new power system and supporting infrastructure, ensuring reliable green energy supply.

Second is top-level design in industrial planning. Industrial layouts within the park must precisely align with the energy structure. Different industries have varying demands for power quality and distinct carbon emission characteristics—emissions stem not only from energy consumption but also from industrial processes. Process emissions in sectors like chemicals are particularly challenging to manage. Therefore, industrial planning and energy planning must be coordinated to achieve optimal source-load interaction.

Third is establishing an internationally recognized mechanism. There is an urgent need to build a comprehensive zero-carbon digital system to achieve traceability of product carbon footprints and carbon neutrality processes.

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