China News Service, Yibin, October 10. Title: From old riverside factories to new energy production lines: Industrial changes in Yibin, the "Capital City of the Yangtze River"
Author Cheng Zhao
Yan Hua, chief engineer of Yibin Tianyuan Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Tianyuan Group), still remembers that after the production equipment of the old factory stopped one after another in 2013, the factory area that once roared with machines suddenly became quiet.
"The whole factory became quiet, and the sound of the machines and equipment inside was gone." Yan Hua said that the old factory was once like a "small society" with hospitals, kindergartens, primary schools and living communities nearby, and many employees had worked and lived there for many years. When production actually ceases, everyone will inevitably feel a little sad.
Tianyuan Group is an old chemical enterprise with a history of more than 80 years. Yan Hua recalled that as the city of Yibin continues to expand, old factories that were once far away from the city are gradually getting closer to the city, and the original space cannot support the company's continued development. At the same time, environmental protection requirements have become stricter, and the original production layout is facing adjustments.
The picture shows a photo of the factory area of Yibin Tianyuan Group Co., Ltd. before its relocation. Photo courtesy of Yibin Tianyuan Group Co., Ltd.
Relocation is not just about moving old equipment from one place to another. Yan Hua said that many equipment that have been in service for many years have no relocation value. Tianyuan Group has adopted the method of first building new equipment and then gradually withdrawing old equipment for relocation. During the construction of the new plant, the equipment scale, automation level and labor efficiency also increased.
After the old factory was relocated, the company faced another problem: What to produce next?
Yan Hua said that with the rapid expansion of traditional chlor-alkali chemical industry, traditional products such as polyvinyl chloride and caustic soda once experienced periodic overcapacity, and it became increasingly difficult to form new competitiveness by continuing simple expansion. The company once organized a team to study industry development trends and look for new industry opportunities, and then decided to extend the industry to new materials, new energy battery materials and other directions.
The picture shows the new lithium battery cathode material industry factory area after the relocation of Yibin Tianyuan Group Co., Ltd. Photo courtesy of Yibin Tianyuan Group Co., Ltd.
The changes of an old industrial enterprise are also part of the changes in Yibin’s industrial landscape. The Jinsha River and Minjiang River merge into the Yangtze River in Yibin. In the past, Yibin's industrial layout was closely linked to the Yangtze River coastline. Chemical, papermaking, thermal power and other enterprises were once located along the river. Traditional industries such as liquor and coal accounted for a high proportion of the industrial structure. In 2015, the output value of coal and liquor industries accounted for more than 40% of Yibin's industrial output value. By 2025, the output value of power batteries, crystalline silicon photovoltaics and intelligent terminal industries has accounted for nearly half of the city's industrial output value.
In the new industry, power batteries have become an important pole in Yibin. In September this year, Liu Yong, deputy mayor of Yibin City, introduced at a meeting related to the 2026 World Power Battery Conference that Yibin’s power battery production capacity has reached 300GWh. Data shows that in the first half of 2026, Yibin's power battery enterprises have completed an output value of 76.57 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 42.6%, and the output value of the entire industry chain is expected to exceed 150 billion yuan. The industrial chain has covered basic raw materials, battery cell manufacturing, vehicle matching, and residual material recycling.
Changes in power batteries have also begun to extend from the production line to urban applications. As of August 2026, Yibin has built 19 new energy storage projects with an installed capacity of 926MWh; 19 heavy-duty truck power swap stations have been built, with a total of 165,000 power swaps; and the number of new energy heavy trucks has reached 3,101, an increase of more than 16 times compared with 2022. There are 15 green ships built or under construction locally, and the application of power batteries is extending to energy storage, transportation, ships and other scenarios.
Another new energy industry chain has developed in Yibin High-tech Zone. In 2023, Luo Juhui came to Yibin and worked at Heguang Tongcheng Photovoltaic Technology (Yibin) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Heguang Tongcheng). He recalled that when he first arrived in the park, many surrounding plots were still under construction and roads were being completed. In the past three years, factories along the industrial avenue have gradually been connected, logistics vehicles have increased, and there have been more and more new energy companies in the surrounding areas.
According to reports, Heguang Tongcheng only took 147 days from the start of construction to the production of the first photovoltaic cell. It currently has nearly 2,000 employees and can achieve a maximum production capacity of 24GW. One of its upstream silicon wafer suppliers is right next door to the factory, with a straight-line distance of only a few hundred meters. The two parties adopt a "divided-wall distribution, shared wall-free inspection" collaboration method to shorten the logistics distance while also accelerating upstream and downstream production and technology collaboration.
Changes in industrial structure are also reflected in statistics. Public data shows that in 2025, green and low-carbon industries accounted for 47.9% of the city's designated industries in Yibin City; from January to August 2026, this proportion reached 55.9%. While the industry is "shifting gears", the Yangtze River is also changing. In recent years, Yibin has continued to promote the relocation, closure and shoreline management of old industrial enterprises along the river. From 2015 to 2025, the proportion of Class II water bodies in the main stream of the Yangtze River in Yibin increased from 0 to 100%, and the proportion of excellent water quality in national and provincial assessment sections increased from 80% to 100%.
More than ten years ago, the sound of machines in the old factory in Yan Hua's memory gradually stopped; now, in new energy factories such as power batteries and photovoltaics, new production lines continue to operate. For Yibin, an old industrial city that prospered because of the river, changes are not only written in the industrial statistics, but also reflected in the distance between factories and the Yangtze River, the products circulating on the production line, and the increasingly close connection between upstream and downstream enterprises. (End)
(China Internet Development Foundation China Positive Energy Network Communication Special Fund Support Project)
