News

Shandong Haihua Group Co., Ltd. breaks through the current situation with transformation and moves towards green development.
Shandong Haihua Group Co., Ltd. breaks through the current situation with transformation and moves towards green development.

At a critical juncture of deep adjustment in traditional cyclical industries, Shandong Haihua Group Co.,Ltd. a leading domestic soda ash manufacturer, is forging ahead with proactive transformation. At the beginning of the Lunar New Year, the company officially announced a planned investment of 4.837 billion yuan to comprehensively upgrade its core production line, which has been in operation for thirty years, demonstrating its commitment to high-quality development amidst industry pressures.While the soda ash industry currently faces challenges, it is also accelerating the optimization of its industrial structure. As a backbone enterprise deeply rooted in the soda ash field, Shandong Haihua is taking initiative and actively responding, abandoning a passive and conservative approach and achieving self-innovation through large-scale technological upgrades. The company will adopt a 1 million-ton-per-year combined alkali process unit to replace its existing outdated equipment, adhering to intrinsic growth, closely following policy guidance and industry trends, and transforming survival pressure into a powerful driving force for transformation and upgrading.This technological upgrade directly addresses the two core issues of cost and environmental protection, with profound strategic significance. Through process iteration, the company will effectively optimize its cost structure, enhance its market competitiveness, achieve cost reduction through the comprehensive utilization of by-product gases, and build a cost moat for sustainable development. In terms of green development, the project has achieved remarkable results. The new process achieves zero discharge of production wastewater, and the comprehensive utilization rate of raw salt has increased significantly from less than 28% to over 98%. It also reduces a large amount of limestone consumption annually, demonstrating the company's commitment to the "dual carbon" target and showcasing its responsibility and ecological commitment as a state-owned enterprise.This upgrade has opened up new growth opportunities for the company. The ammonium chloride byproduct of the project helps the company enter the fertilizer field, achieving a leap from single soda ash production to diversified co-production, effectively smoothing industry cycle fluctuations and aligning with national agricultural development policies. Calculations show that after the project reaches full production capacity, it will bring stable revenue and profit contributions. The green transformation and economic benefits achieve a virtuous cycle, fully demonstrating the broad prospects for green upgrading of traditional chemical enterprises.As a model of counter-cyclical layout in the industry, Shandong Haihua's transformation is not only a long-term plan for its own development but also provides a vivid example for the transformation of traditional high-energy-consuming industries. With forward-looking planning, the company has solidified its core competitiveness during the industry adjustment period. When the cycle recovers, it will seize development opportunities with its cost and green advantages.From resource consumption to efficient recycling, from single products to diversified layout, from passively bearing pressure to proactively leading, Shandong Haihua has completed the reshaping of its core competitiveness with a 4.837 billion yuan "green transformation" project. This resolute self-revolution not only lays a solid foundation for the company to navigate economic cycles and win the future, but also provides a highly valuable practical path for the transformation, upgrading, and high-quality development of traditional manufacturing enterprises.

Shandong Haihua's new 200,000-ton/year sodium bicarbonate project is progressing steadily.
Shandong Haihua's new 200,000-ton/year sodium bicarbonate project is progressing steadily.

Shandong Haihua's new 200,000-ton/year sodium bicarbonate project, with a total investment of 118 million yuan, has been progressing smoothly since its commencement in March 2025. The project is characterized by a vibrant atmosphere of rapid progress and intense work, with construction workers busily engaged in wall construction and preparing to begin equipment installation and pipeline laying. The project is expected to be completed and put into trial operation in September of this year.Currently, the sodium bicarbonate workshop and packaging workshop have been capped, and the foundation and retaining wall of the packaging warehouse have been poured simultaneously. The first floor of the sodium bicarbonate workshop and the power distribution room have also been completed. All work is proceeding in an orderly manner. Fan Dangui, Minister of the Equipment Technology Department of the 200,000-ton/year sodium bicarbonate project, explained: "Under the premise of ensuring safety and quality, we are working closely with the construction and supervision teams, seizing the golden construction period, planning ahead for the entry of personnel, materials, and equipment, racing against time, and advancing according to the established plan to ensure that each milestone is completed on schedule. The capping of two individual plant buildings has now been completed." This also allows time for the later installation of equipment, pipelines, and electrical instruments. We hope that through everyone's joint efforts, the project will be completed safely, smoothly, and on schedule. After completion, the combined capacity of the first phase project and the new carbonization tower will reach 300,000 tons/year. The project uses a new type of carbonization tower, which has the advantages of high carbonization conversion rate and long operating cycle, capable of producing large-particle products with a crystallization particle size of 60-120 mesh, effectively diversifying the product range and better meeting the needs of different customers.Project Manager Gao Ning explained: With the increasing recognition and acceptance of baking soda products by the public, market demand is constantly growing. The new 200,000-ton/year baking soda project, through the application of new equipment, new technologies, and new materials, will: 1) further reduce baking soda energy consumption; 2) share the operating personnel of the first phase, significantly reducing labor costs; and 3) further refine the product range by adding screening devices, gradually forming a low-cost, high-quality, and diversified baking soda product chain, further enhancing the market competitiveness of baking soda.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the sodium bicarbonate factory project of Shandong Haihua Group Co Ltd was successfully held.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the sodium bicarbonate factory project of Shandong Haihua Group Co Ltd was successfully held.

On the morning of March 6th, the groundbreaking ceremony for the new 200,000-ton/year sodium bicarbonate project of Shandong Haihua Co., Ltd.'s sodium bicarbonate plant was successfully held. Wang Yongzhi, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and General Manager of Haihua Group, announced the commencement of the project. Li Jinjun, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Trade Union, delivered a speech. Wang Longxue, Member of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager, attended the ceremony, and Wang Zhihui, Member of the Party Committee and General Manager of the Company, presided over the ceremony. Wang Yongzhi also announced the commencement of the new 200,000-ton/year sodium bicarbonate project of Shandong Haihua Co., Ltd.'s sodium bicarbonate plant. In his speech, Li Jinjun stated that the new 200,000-ton/year sodium bicarbonate project is an important measure taken by Haihua Group to implement the provincial and municipal major projects for the transformation of old and new growth drivers and accelerate industrial transformation and upgrading. It is also an important new project to improve the marine chemical circular economy, making the industrial chain more complete, the product quantity more matched, the production capacity more balanced, and the environmental advantages more prominent. The project covers an area of ​​12,000 square meters, with a total investment of 118 million yuan. By using new equipment and production processes, it will further improve the level of intelligence, achieve high-quality, low-consumption, and diversified sodium bicarbonate products, and effectively promote the improvement of profitability and competitiveness. Li Jinjun pointed out that the group company will take the formulation of the "15th Five-Year Plan" as an opportunity to adhere to the principles of "one core and multiple wings," chain-like layout, coordinated linkage, and coupled development. It will persist in both independent development and external cooperation, and in the dual-drive of improving efficiency and securing resources. The group will comprehensively promote the consolidation and upgrading of traditional industries, the development and expansion of emerging industries, and the strategic layout of future industries, striving to build a modern first-class enterprise group integrating "chemicals + energy." Wang Zhihui presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the new 200,000-ton/year sodium bicarbonate project at Shandong Haihua Co., Ltd.'s sodium bicarbonate plant. Liu Wenzhang, secretary of the Party branch and director of the sodium bicarbonate plant, introduced the basic situation of the new project. The new 200,000-ton/year sodium bicarbonate project will commence construction in March, begin main equipment installation in May, and start operation in September. After the project reaches full production capacity, the total output of the new and old lines of the sodium bicarbonate plant will reach 400,000 tons/year. Heads of relevant departments, units, and project teams of Haihua Group, as well as relevant personnel from the project design, construction, and supervision units, participated in the ceremony.

Several projects from Shandong Haihua Group have been selected for key project databases at the provincial and municipal levels.
Several projects from Shandong Haihua Group have been selected for key project databases at the provincial and municipal levels.

Recently, the Shandong Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, the Office of the Financial Committee of the Shandong Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, and the Shandong Branch of the People's Bank of China jointly issued the "2026 Shandong Provincial Key Project Guidance Catalog for Enterprise Technological Transformation." Four projects from Shandong Haihua Group were successfully selected: the "Zero-Manual" Smart Factory Project for Digital Transformation and Intelligent Upgrading; the 1×50,000 kW Back-Pressure Unit Cogeneration Project of Weifang Binhai Haihua Energy; the Boiler Upgrading and Renovation Project of the Third Power Plant of Shandong Haihua Energy Co., Ltd.'s Thermal Power Branch; and the Quality Improvement, Efficiency Enhancement, Energy Saving, and Environmental Protection Transformation Project of the Soda Ash Plant Based on Comprehensive Utilization of Resources and Energy of Shandong Haihua Co., Ltd. The provincial technological transformation guidance catalog is designed to thoroughly implement the deployment requirements of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government on vigorously implementing the "Number One Project" of industrial economy, strengthen the service and support role of finance for the real economy, and guide industrial enterprises to accelerate equipment renewal and technological upgrading. The selected projects will receive policy guarantees and preferential support in project financing, resource allocation, and financial subsidies. It is also understood that several of Haihua's projects have been successfully selected for the 2026 provincial and municipal key project databases. As a leading enterprise in the marine chemical industry, Haihua's inclusion in these databases reflects the government's high recognition of the company's development strategy, industrial layout, and project value. Going forward, Haihua will continue to shoulder its responsibilities as a state-owned enterprise, focusing on the "Year of Expanding Quantity, Improving Quality, and Reforming," and driven by the construction of key projects. It will concentrate its efforts to build a modern, first-class enterprise integrating "chemicals + energy," contributing even greater value to Weifang's goal of becoming a trillion-yuan city and a regional sub-center city.

Shandong Haihua Soda Ash Plant Renovation Project
Shandong Haihua Soda Ash Plant Renovation Project

On February 26, Shandong Haihua issued an announcement stating that it plans to invest 4.837 billion yuan to implement a "Renovation Project for Soda Ash Plant Based on Comprehensive Utilization of Resources and Energy," with a construction period of 24 months.The announcement stated that Shandong Haihua's existing 1.2 million tons/year ammonia-soda process soda ash production line has been operating for over 30 years. The equipment is outdated, energy consumption is high, and the production line has significant emission pressure, making it unsuitable for the needs of modern industrial development. Process upgrading is imperative. The planned scale of this ammonia-soda ash to co-alkali plant upgrade is 1 million tons/year, replacing the existing 1.2 million tons/year Solvay (ammonia-soda process) soda ash plant capacity. The capacity replacement ratio is 1.2:1, which is a reduction-to-replacement measure and complies with relevant national industrial policies.According to the announcement, the project includes the construction of a new 400,000 tons/year synthetic ammonia plant and a new 1 million tons/year co-alkali plant (producing 400,000 tons of light soda ash, 600,000 tons of heavy soda ash, and 1.03 million tons of ammonium chloride as a byproduct). Simultaneously, the existing calcination, compression, packaging, storage, transportation, and some public works facilities of the old ammonia-soda production line can be utilized.Shandong Haihua stated that the project takes the green and low-carbon transformation of energy as its core objective. It plans to systematically construct a green and low-carbon technology system through a dual approach of "green electricity substitution" and "direct supply cost reduction," laying the groundwork for the company to achieve carbon peaking and carbon neutrality in advance, and promoting the company's green and low-carbon transformation.

Shandong Haihua Group Company Limited
Shandong Haihua Group Company Limited

Shandong Haihua Group Company Limited is a large state-owned enterprise group under Weifang City, integrating science, industry, trade and research. Established in 1995 through the merger of Weifang Soda Ash Plant and Shandong Yangkou Salt Field, it is a key national marine chemical production and export base, a front-runner in China’s salt chemical industry, and a “chain leader” in the high-end chemical industrial chain of Weifang.The Group owns 1 listed company – Shandong Haihua Co., Ltd. (00822.SZ) – and 21 branches and subsidiaries. It covers 128 square kilometers, with registered capital of 724 million yuan and total assets of about 26.4 billion yuan.Its core business covers four sectors: salt chemical, energy, petrochemical and new materials. Flagship products include soda ash, raw salt, calcium chloride, bromine, magnesium chloride, sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite, with six products ranking among the top in China in terms of capacity. Soda ash annual capacity reaches 2.2 million tons, making it one of the world’s largest single-site soda ash producers.Adhering to green, low-carbon and circular development, Shandong Haihua Group has been honored as a National Green Factory, National Circular Economy Pilot Unit, and National Postdoctoral Research Station. It is accelerating digital transformation and industrial upgrading to build a world-class modern enterprise focused on “chemicals + energy”.