This week, Fujian Daily featured a front-page headline article titled Phoenixes Soaring from Mountainous Regions. Our company took the spotlight as the leading example, demonstrating how a mountainous-region enterprise has achieved global leadership through innovation.
Highlights of the Report:
Global Scale Leader: With an annual production capacity of 75,000 tons of ammonium persulfate, 50,000 tons of sodium persulfate, and 12,000 tons of potassium persulfate, our company leads the world in all three categories.
Innovation-Driven Development: Investing over 10 million yuan annually in research and development, we pioneered the trough - type electrolytic cell technology and overcame dozens of process challenges.
Honors Reflecting Strength: Recognized as a National Specialized, Sophisticated, Unique and Innovative "Little Giant" enterprise, a Single Champion Product enterprise by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and a National High - Tech Enterprise.
The Secret to a Mountainous - Region Enterprise's Rise
"Being located in a mountainous county is no longer a disadvantage!" Thanks to 21 years of focused dedication, our company has broken through geographical limitations with customized high - end products, making "Made in China with Intelligence" shine on the international stage!
The following is the full report:
In people's minds, enterprises with strong innovation capabilities and high market shares usually emerge from big cities or coastal economic powerhouses. It seems that enterprises in resource - scarce mountainous counties have little chance to compete.
"How can enterprises in mountainous counties become 'phoenixes'?" When reporters posed this question to several enterprises in Qingliu County, a common keyword emerged in their answers: innovation.
By using innovation to offset weaknesses and leverage strengths and by deeply cultivating their respective industries, many "champion" enterprises have emerged in Qingliu County. Last year, Qingliu County newly recognized 5 National High - Tech Enterprises and 4 Provincial Science and Technology Little Giant Enterprises, representing year - on - year growth of 41.7% and 80% respectively.
"Now, being located in a mountainous county is no longer our weakness"
In Dalukou Village, Longjin Town, Qingliu County, a row of yellow factory buildings nestles against the mountains. This is the location of Fujian ZhanHua Chemical Co., Ltd., the world's largest persulfate manufacturer.
As the factory gates open and close, Gao Longqiang, the company's general manager, welcomes and sees off groups of visitors. "They are all out - of - town customers here to negotiate customized products. We can provide persulfate products of different purities according to their needs, which are used in coatings, cosmetics, oil extraction, and other fields," said Gao Longqiang.
With 21 years of dedication to the persulfate industry, Fujian ZhanHua Chemical currently produces 75,000 tons of ammonium persulfate, 50,000 tons of sodium persulfate, and 12,000 tons of potassium persulfate annually, ranking first globally in all three indicators. Among them, the production capacity of sodium persulfate accounts for about 60% of the national total and 40% of the global total.
It was no easy feat to achieve the largest global scale in a mountainous county. Twenty - one years ago, attracted by the idle old factory buildings in Dalukou Village and Qingliu's favorable investment environment, Gao Tangshun, the founder of Fujian ZhanHua Chemical, arrived here with a team of less than five people. "We are deep in the mountains, with no local raw materials and far from customers. We were a classic case of 'being disadvantaged on both fronts'," said Gao Longqiang.
To address this situation, Fujian ZhanHua Chemical relied on continuous independent innovation. It invests over 10 million yuan in research and development every year and continuously implements a number of energy - saving technical transformations, including improvements to boilers, cooling equipment, refrigerant transportation insulation, heating pipeline insulation, and waste heat recovery in reaction processes. The self - developed trough - type electrolytic cell (a major energy - consuming device) is the first of its kind in the persulfate industry. Additionally, through cooperation with universities such as Zhejiang University of Technology and Fuzhou University, the company has solved dozens of technical problems related to electrolysis load materials and ammonia gas recycling.
"Now, being located in a mountainous county is no longer our weakness," said Gao Longqiang. Based on its long - accumulated production advantages and innovation capabilities, the company has adopted a high - end, customized product strategy, continuously expanding its market reach.
In the blink of 21 years, Fujian ZhanHua Chemical has become a veritable National Specialized, Sophisticated, Unique and Innovative "Little Giant" enterprise, a National High - Tech Enterprise, and an enterprise with a Single Champion Product recognized by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology through innovation.
"Recently, we won two provincial - level 'golden awards'"
A short drive from the Fujian ZhanHua Chemical plant leads to Qingliu Dongying Chemical Co., Ltd. Established in 2002, this enterprise mainly engages in the research, development, production, and sales of fluorocarbon chemicals and inorganic fluorine products. It currently produces 40,000 tons of pentafluoroethane and 30,000 tons of difluoromethane annually.
"Recently, we were awarded the titles of Provincial Specialized, Sophisticated, Unique and Innovative Small and Medium - sized Enterprise and Provincial Enterprise Technology Center," said Huang Lizhong, Secretary of the Party Branch of Dongying Chemical, eager to share the news with reporters.
These two honors deeply moved Bao Fei, Director of the company's Technology Center, who has been with the company since 2003. "Since the factory was established, our R & D efforts have never stopped. Every workshop is required to submit technical improvement proposals, aiming to achieve safe production, improve product quality, and save energy and reduce consumption," said Bao Fei. Take R116 (perfluoroethane) refrigerant as an example. Through process optimization, the by - product R115 from the production of pentafluoroethane is purified and then synthesized with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride to produce R116, which is used in chip etching and various ultra - low - temperature refrigeration equipment. By - products that used to be incinerated at a cost can now be reused.
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In 2018, the company established a technology center to lead R & D efforts and systematically tackle "difficult problems". "We currently have 99 R & D personnel, mostly front - line veterans. They are not only experts on the production line but also excellent innovators. The company currently holds a total of 52 patents and has independent intellectual property rights in many technical fields related to refrigerants and fluorine - containing fine chemicals."
Limited geographical and resource conditions are not decisive factors for innovation. Qingliu Dongying Chemical has adhered to the long - term approach, continuously carrying out technical improvements and R & D over the past 20 years. It is precisely these specific innovation achievements that have helped the enterprise break free from the mountains and enter a broader market.
"This year is our year for project technical improvement"
Qingliu County has proven fluorite reserves of over 8.1 million tons and prospective reserves of 30 million tons, making it the county with the richest fluorite resources in the province. Relying on these resources and with scientific planning, the fluorine new material industry has now become the leading industry in Qingliu County. As a leading enterprise, Fujian Zhongxin Fluoride Gaobao Technology Co., Ltd. is a fluorochemical enterprise integrating fluorite mining, production of sulfuric acid, hydrofluoric acid, fluorine - containing fine chemicals, fluorine - containing electronic chemicals, and new fluorine - containing electrolytic salt materials. It has been recognized as a Provincial Green Factory.
In the Fujian Zhongxin Fluoride Gaobao Technology Co., Ltd. located in the Fubao area of the Qingliu Fluorine New Material Industrial Park, the fluorobenzene production line is operating at full capacity. "This is one of the new production line projects added in recent years. Through continuous process optimization, product quality has steadily improved, and the utilization rate of production capacity has significantly increased," introduced Meng Huibiao, Deputy General Manager of Zhongxin Gaobao. As an important intermediate raw material, fluorobenzene can be used to produce fluorenone, a monomer material for PEEK special engineering plastics. When PEEK materials are used for robot skeletons, they exhibit characteristics such as light weight, high strength, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and self - lubrication, with significant advantages over traditional materials.
In recent years, Zhongxin Gaobao has continuously carried out a series of technical improvements in production, environmental protection, and safety. It has currently completed the construction of an internal industrial Internet platform, which helps the enterprise monitor energy consumption, unit consumption, production indicators, and other aspects of the production process in real - time, effectively improving production stability and safety.
"This year is our year for project technical improvement. We will also complete the expansion of the 6,500 - ton fluorine fine chemicals production line, the renovation of the electronic - grade hydrofluoric acid production line, and the energy - saving technical transformation of the anhydrous hydrofluoric acid production line," said Meng Huibiao.
With innovation as the driving force, mountainous regions can also nurture "phoenixes". Since 2021, the total investment in research and experimental development (R & D) in Qingliu County has exceeded 200 million yuan.
By adhering to government - enterprise interaction, Qingliu County has introduced a series of policies to encourage enterprises to increase R & D and innovation efforts and promote their development towards high - end and intelligent manufacturing. It has also started to establish a collaborative center, build a pilot - scale testing platform base for enterprises, and organize enterprises to carry out innovative cooperative research... In the future, more "champion" enterprises are expected to emerge in Qingliu County.
