Dongying – located in East China's Shandong province – has just entered into a strategic partnership with listed new energy batteries manufacturing giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd, or CATL, to advance the city's dual-carbon goals.

On March 15, Dongying signed a strategic cooperation agreement with CATL – the world's largest maker of lithium-ion batteries – for a "zero-carbon city initiative" and the establishment of a zero-carbon industrial park.

The project will be CATL's first high-proportion green electricity-powered zero-carbon industrial park. As such, it marks a significant step in Dongying's commitment to its premium green development.

The collaboration includes building a green manufacturing base for lithium batteries in Dongying's Kenli district, at an initial scale of 40 gigawatt-hours (GWh).

The project will advance the integration of green energy, zero-carbon applications and industrial decarbonization – paving the way for a fully-fledged green industry cluster. This in turn is expected to create a model for low-carbon industry growth and lead to sustainable urban transformation.

Dongying boasts substantial renewable energy resources, with over 8.42 million kilowatts of installed renewable capacity. The city is understood to be well-positioned to support CATL's green energy needs, aiding its global zero-carbon strategy.

In addition to energy transformation, the CATL project is predicted to drive workforce recruitment and innovation, with over 1,000 industry professionals expected to join Dongying's renewable energy sector.

Overall, the joint endeavor is deemed to represent a new era in the city's green and low-carbon industrial development, reinforcing its role as a leader in sustainable urbanization.