SHENYANG, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Even as a frosty winter grips the capital city of northeast China's Liaoning Province, the BMW Brilliance powertrain plant remains warm. The source is not coal, but a clean energy heating project launched in late October within the China-Germany Equipment Manufacturing Industrial Park in Shenyang.
Utilizing renewable geothermal energy from 2,900 meters underground, this non-fossil fuel project ensures constant temperature control. The project, a collaboration between BMW Brilliance and local partners, helps support the China-Germany park's ambition to become a zero-carbon industrial park.
Zero-carbon industrial parks are designed to reduce carbon emissions from production and daily activities to near-zero levels through planning, technology and management, ultimately achieving net-zero conditions. As China strives to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060, such parks are emerging as new engines for the country's green transformation.
"The park's strategy aligns perfectly with BMW's sustainability philosophy," said Wang Jun, senior vice president of finance and chief financial officer of BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd.
A growing number of foreign companies are actively participating in the development of these parks through direct investment or technical partnerships, driving their own green initiatives while providing replicable decarbonization models for industries.
Pilot projects led by industry leaders like BMW are paving the way for broader zero-carbon targets. The China-Germany industrial park aims to meet China's national zero-carbon standards by 2027, targeting a carbon emission intensity of 0.18 tonnes per unit of energy consumption, positioning itself as a bridge for international green cooperation.
"Developing a zero-carbon park is an urgent need for companies in the China-Germany industrial park," said Zhang Yue, deputy head of the Tiexi District in Shenyang. With electricity accounting for 78 percent of the park's annual energy consumption, businesses require access to green power to enhance global competitiveness amid China's dual carbon goals and international green trade rules.
New entrants like Envision Energy Co., Ltd., which specializes in smart wind power and energy storage, have been designing renewable energy solutions for the park.
Xue Bin, general manager of Envision's Liaoning development office, said that while companies previously relied on green certificates to prove clean energy use, stricter international standards, particularly EU traceability requirements, have made this approach inadequate. "Zero-carbon parks offer traceable, low-cost green electricity, helping export-oriented firms comply with global rules," Xue said.
Envision has partnered with international certification organizations to provide green certifications, with plans to extend these services to small and medium-sized enterprises for easier entry into global green supply chains.
Beyond Shenyang, foreign participation in China's zero-carbon parks is growing. For instance, GLP has rebuilt a logistics facility in Shanghai into a smart zero-carbon flagship, which began operations in September.
In central China's Hubei Province, Schneider Electric is collaborating with a local partner to build multiple zero-carbon parks and retrofit existing ones. Panasonic has also established over 10 zero-carbon factories in east China's Jiangsu and south China's Guangdong, progressing toward its 2030 zero-emission target.
These efforts not only boost local green transitions but also open pathways for Chinese companies to expand overseas. Recently, the China-Germany industrial park invited global firms to partner in sectors including clean energy, smart management and carbon reduction.
"We will enhance alignment with German and EU standards on carbon data and green certificates, exploring internationally recognized zero-carbon frameworks to help companies 'go global,'" said Xue Qingbin, executive deputy director of the park's management committee. ■
