A Cyprus-flagged vessel carrying 168,000 cubic meters of liquefied natural gas berths at Yangkou Port, Rudong, Nantong. [Photo/jschina.com.cn]

The vast development space and potential of Rudong, a coastal county in Nantong, Jiangsu province, are attracting a wave of major investments. One standout example is Jiatong Energy, a polyester integration project developed by Zhejiang-based Tongkun Group.

Jiatong Energy represents the inaugural major project for Tongkun Group outside of Zhejiang province. The first phase of this project, which focuses on the production of purified terephthalic acid (PTA) and innovative functional fibers, commenced full operations in December 2023. The production process is executed on-site, covering all stages from the receipt of raw materials to the dispatch of finished products. This efficiency has enabled the company to realize savings of 150 yuan ($20.46) per metric ton in operational costs. In 2023, Jiatong Energy achieved taxable sales amounting to 39.5 billion yuan, signifying a year-on-year increase of 25.5 percent.

Why did the company expand outside Zhejiang and establish a presence in Rudong's Yangkou Port? "At that time, about 5,000 mu (roughly 333 hectares) of land was planned for the project. To put that in perspective, in nearly 38 years of building factories in Zhejiang, we had not secured that much land," said Shen Hanshun, deputy general manager of Jiatong Energy.

Beyond land availability, the need for efficient large-scale transport of raw materials and products also played a key role. For example, the PX raw materials required by Jiatong Energy come from major coastal refining bases and must be shipped by large specialized vessels. Yangkou Port's positioning and large port facilities made it an ideal match.

According to Shen, about 70 percent of Jiatong Energy's products are sold locally to Nantong and nearby areas. Within a 100-kilometer radius, Jiatong Energy can efficiently serve textile markets in Suzhou, Wuxi, and northern Jiangsu, ensuring low logistics costs, quick responses, and efficient collaboration with upstream and downstream partners.

In terms of developing marine industries, Rudong is also making impressive strides. It has established the country's largest LNG island, Yangguang Island, China's first wind power home port and Asia's largest offshore wind farm cluster. Rudong is now a national demonstration base for offshore wind power. It is expanding into a full spectrum of new energy sectors, including wind, solar, natural gas, hydrogen, and energy storage.