Cangzhou sits at a unique crossroads in the southern part of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, where the Grand Canal meets the Bohai Bay. Known for its ancient canal heritage, the timeless poetry of the Book of Songs, and its legacy as a home to martial arts and acrobatics, the city is now writing a new chapter. Beyond these historical hallmarks, Cangzhou is undergoing a profound modern transformation, driven by leadership in new energy, equipment manufacturing, and green chemistry, reshaping its economic foundation and urban landscape for the future. In August 2026, a visit to multiple sites across the city offered a firsthand look at this ongoing transition.
The Breakthrough of a Domestic 'Screw'
In 2022, Li Liangyu left his long-time job to join a newly established company, embarking on a three-year, intense research effort focused on a single target: a "screw." This was no ordinary fastener; it was a nuclear-grade seismic anchor bolt, a critical component for nuclear power plant foundations. "The quality demands for components in nuclear facilities are extremely high. This fastener, which secures equipment to the ground, is completely different from ordinary screws. It must ensure stability under all conditions," Li explained. "After years of effort, we had achieved domestic production for nearly all equipment in civil construction and installation. The seismic anchor bolt was the last piece."
For years, this specialized bolt was monopolized by foreign companies, leaving the domestic industry vulnerable. "We were at the mercy of others, risking supply chain disruptions and project delays, with each bolt costing hundreds or even thousands of yuan," Li added. In October 2022, he joined the newly formed Hebei Zhongyi Nuclear Power Equipment Co., Ltd. as a technician, collaborating with researchers from top domestic institutions to crack the technical challenge. The three-year effort involved more than 70 million yuan in R&D investment, over 5,700 concrete test blocks, nearly 60,000 anchor bolts, and close to 330,000 data points. By 2025, the seismic bolt was successfully developed, completing the final piece of the localization puzzle and achieving 100% domestic production for the sector. "Our costs are only about half of the foreign competitors, and more importantly, we can now fully guarantee delivery times, ensuring smooth project progress," said Gong Chao, deputy general manager of the company.
No Real 'Waste' in the Factory
Near Cangzhou's Huanghua Port, the office of Hebei Kaiyi New Material Technology Co., Ltd. stands out in a new industrial park. Its traditional Chinese courtyard, with white walls, dark tiles, pine trees, bamboo, and a koi pond, seems at odds with a modern chemical company. Only the towering silver reaction columns in the adjacent factory area reveal its true nature. Chen Changyun, deputy director of the production technology department, noted that the company shifted from trade to manufacturing in 2015, settling in Huanghua's industrial park in 2020. After four phases of construction, annual sales now exceed 20 billion yuan, with nearly half from exports. One product, methyl tert-butyl ether, sees over 95% of its output exported globally, generating around 4.5 billion yuan annually.
Unlike traditional chemical plants, Kaiyi's facility features smokestacks that emit almost no visible smoke or dust. This is thanks to a new green production system that implements a "waste recycling" framework. "In petrochemical production, there is no real waste, only resources. The issue was that previous technology was immature or too costly for high utilization," Chen said. Inputs like liquefied petroleum gas are used in primary production, with byproducts like hydrogen, steam, and carbon monoxide routed through dedicated pipes to other processes, either as power or raw materials for new products. "Hydrogen, for example, is an energy source. We have a hydrogen refueling station that can serve fuel cell vehicles," Chen added. "Similarly, steam generated in production is recycled for internal heating, saving costs, maximizing resource use, and aligning with green production principles."
Solar 'Fishery-PV' on the Coast
While traditional industrial byproducts are being turned into new energy sources, advanced concepts are also becoming reality in the renewable energy sector. In Huanghua, a pilot base for Changzheng Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd. (a subsidiary of the Aerospace group) is testing green, low-carbon energy technologies. These include producing hydrogen from gasified straw and household waste. Zhao Feng, the general manager of the Cangzhou branch, explained that since 2022, the base has been adapting aerospace technology for biomass gasification, waste gasification, and green metallurgy to develop a low-carbon chemical industry.
At the site, piles of processed agricultural waste, like corn and soybean straw, are ready for the integrated gasification platform. The process generates carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Zhao also pointed out piles of black iron pellets, materials for exploring green metallurgy that uses clean energy to make steel production more ecological. Following successful pilot tests in Cangzhou, these technologies are rapidly integrated into broader industrial chains. "Cangzhou's complete industrial chain allows for faster conversion of new technologies into production applications, which is one reason we chose this location," Zhao said.
As a representative of clean technology, new energy production is changing industrial paths and regional lifestyles. In Huanghua's Nanpaihe Town, near a coastal fishing village, the Guohua Investment Hebei Branch Haitang Photovoltaic Power Station has installed over 26,000 mu of solar panels on saline-alkali tidal flats. Construction began in 2024, and the station was connected to the grid in December of that year, generating an average of 18.6 billion kilowatt-hours annually, equivalent to the annual electricity use of 2.79 million people. More significantly, it is the nation's largest "fishery-PV" complementary project. By combining local natural resources with traditional aquaculture, it is developing a green ecological aquaculture system and exploring a new path for upgrading the traditional seawater pond farming industry.
An 'Industrial City' on Saline-Alkali Land
Cangzhou, located in the southeast of the Hebei Plain, is a natural industrial hub with flat terrain, convenient transportation, and abundant resources. New technologies and industries are rapidly changing the city. Data from the Cangzhou Municipal Development and Reform Commission shows that new industries like green chemistry, equipment manufacturing, and new energy are growing rapidly. In 2025, the green chemical industry generated 229.53 billion yuan in revenue, with 91.10 billion yuan in the first five months of 2026. The new energy sector saw 63.08 billion yuan in revenue in 2025, reaching 25.73 billion yuan in the same period of 2026. Advanced equipment manufacturing reported 218.18 billion yuan in 2025 and 86.67 billion yuan in the first five months of 2026.
These emerging industries are forming more complete clusters and supply chains, providing stable and robust growth. For example, advanced equipment manufacturing now covers the entire value chain from upstream raw materials, through midstream casting and machining, to downstream pipeline, petroleum, power, and transportation equipment, as well as CNC machine tools. The industry includes clusters across pipeline equipment, power equipment, green casting, hardware, specialized equipment, and auto parts. Pipeline products alone encompass over 300 varieties and 3,000 specifications, with medium and low-pressure pipe fittings holding over 60% of the national market and high-pressure special pipes holding over 30%. In 2025, the combined revenue of Cangzhou's three major industries exceeded 500 billion yuan, reshaping the city's economic structure and the lives of its people.
In Huanghua, the industrial park where Kaiyi is located is a new "industrial city" spanning over 2,000 mu. Just five or six years ago, it was a saline-alkali wasteland where generations of locals dug ponds to fish for a living. Today, those ponds have been transformed into a modern industrial park, and the former fishermen are becoming modern industrial workers. In Nanpaihe Town, the 26,000 mu solar farm has changed the lives of over a dozen villages. The station leases the fishermen's ponds and land, providing a stable annual income of over 1,000 yuan per mu. At the same time, the "fishery-PV" model being explored allows farmers to continue aquaculture in the ponds beneath the solar panels, generating income from both the land and the sun.