1.Brief introduction

Sulige Economic Development Zone began construction in 1999, and its establishment was officially approved by the government of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region in 2001. The Zone implements integral management on industrial projects in the Zone, such as Mu Us Desertification Control and Industrialization Demonstration Base, Tuke Chemical Industrial Park, Uxin Ju Chemical Project Area and Nalin River Industrial Park. The Zone was ranked one of the "10 billion turnover parks" in 2014.

2.Industry orientation

The Zone specializes in the coal chemical, natural gas chemical, downstream chemical and new material recycling economic industries.

3.Infrastructure

Investment in the Zone’s infrastructure has totaled 6 billion yuan (including 3 billion yuan of investment from companies). The Zone has a planning area of 91 square kilometers including three industrial projects. So far, about 43 square kilometers in the Zone have completed the goal of "nine connections and one station", reaching the state’s top park criteria.

4.Goals for development

 The fundamental goal for the Zone is to develop through continuous transformation. Industrial economy, as an important section of the economy, is key to a successful transformation. 

4.1 Guideline

The Zone will be built into an eco-friendly, innovative, and smart industrial park. Prosperity and environmental protection should benefit mutually, side by side. A standardized, automatic and information based modern industry should develop itself in a sustainable way by cultivating its innovation capacity and enhancing endogenous power. 

The Zone focuses on developing five industrial sectors, namely modern coal chemical industry, new materials, equipment manufacturing, comprehensive utilization of aeolian sand and modern logistics, in order to put the notion of industrial transformation into practice. China Coal Company has settled its modern coal chemical industry in the Tuke and Uxin Ju project areas. The sand industry mainly deals with sand-based new energy, new materials and manufacturing and maintenance of coal related machines. Furthermore, the new energy industry park, high-end chemical industrial park and other sub-parks will be established to better transform upstream raw materials to complete relevant industry chains. 

The Zone has five industrial product chains, namely coal based chemical products,  methyl alcohol based intermediate products, olefin based fine chemical products and new materials, synthesis ammonia based urea, soda ash, methylamine, pyridine and urea deep processing products, aeolian sand based feldspar, quartz sand and downstream processing products. By properly adjusting product structure and promoting a terminal market, the Zone can achieve the optimization of an internal economic structure and value-added development at multiple levels.

4.2 Targets

The Zone will improve its construction and develop its industrial economics.

During the period of the 13th Five-Year Plan, the Zone continues to industrialize the pastoral area and has become an innovative, eco-friendly and intelligent development industrial park. It is estimated that the total investment in industrial fixed assets will increase to 60 billion yuan. The total industrial output value will reach 100 billion yuan, and the industrial added value will top 30 billion yuan. By the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan, the Zone will have a coal production capacity of 40 million tons, with the local conversion rate settling at more than 50 percent. The chemical production capacity will reach 12 million tons, and the logistics volume more than 30 million tons.

5.Key projects and economic situation in the Zone

The Zone has 61 projects altogether, of which 20 are above 100 million yuan, 24 are between 100 million-1 billion, 9 are between 1-5 billion, 4 are between 5-10 billion and four are above 10 billion yuan, with a total investment of 128.6 billion yuan and 103.1 billion yuan having been utilized. At present, there have been 35 projects put into operation, whilst 26 are under construction. Major industrial sectors in the coal chemical industry, natural gas chemical industry, equipment manufacturing, clean energy, and comprehensive utilization of aeolian sand have already taken shape. In 2015, the Zone completed 24 billion yuan of industrial investment in fixed assets, with the sales revenue totaling 19.8 billion yuan and the industrial added value reaching 8.1 billion yuan, generating profit and tax of 3.6 billion yuan.

In 2016, the Zone started 7 new projects, and kept the construction of 8 others with nine more set to be completed. It was planned to complete 10 billion yuan of industrial investment in fixed assets, to achieve 19 billion yuan of sales revenue and 3.46 billion yuan of profit and tax by the end of 2016. In the first half of 2016, the Zone completed 1.62 billion yuan of total investment, 3.77 billion yuan of industrial investment in fixed assets, 10.03 billion yuan of total industrial output value, 4.18 billion yuan of industrial added value, and 10.2 billion yuan of sales revenue. 

The output of its main products is as follows: 3.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas, 2.897 million tons of raw coal, 309,000 tons of clean coal, 863,000 tons of urea, 438,000 tons of refined methanol, 222,000 tons of liquefied natural gas, generating 70.86 million degrees of power, 10.63 million woven bags, and 820,000 tons of goods transported.