Lithium batteries inspire new momentum for the development of Han Lao Industrial Park

Dr. Liang Guangsik is a five-level public servant in South Korea and the director of the Foreign Investment Division of the Gwangyang Bay Free Economic Zone Administration Office, Jeollanam-do. I first met Dr. Liang after the signing of the China-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the introduction of the first Chinese investment project in the Gwangyang Bay Area. For this pioneering development, he received an award from Jeollanam-do Provincial Government. When we met not long ago, he told the reporter of Science and Technology Daily that the development of Chinese enterprises in Guangyang Bay Area is smooth. Shandong Yipin Dairy's 'Dafali CityThe latest development is that China Mingtai Aluminum Group invested more than 80 million US dollars in the aluminum plate and aluminum foil production base project, which started at the end of last year. Dr. Liang said that heavy chemical industry is the pillar industry of Jeollanam-do, and new materials and high-precision components represented by lithium battery materials are the direction of industrial upgrading. As a free economic zone, Gwangyang Bay Area is playing a key role. The advantages of South Korea's free economic zone are similar to those of China's special economic zone. South Korea's free economic zone system is also designed to better attract foreign investment. According to relevant legislation, the governing body of the Korean Free Economic Zone is the 'Free Economic Zone Committee'. The chairman is the Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Energy of Korea, and the vice officials of other government ministries serve as committee members. The 'Free Economic Zone Planning Group' under the committee is responsible for specific business. Since 2003, after successive new establishments and adjustments, South Korea has designated a total of 7 free economic zones. The geographical distribution is generally balanced, each with its own advantages and focuses. As of the end of 2018, the free economic zone had attracted a total of US$17.8 billion in foreign investment, and 5,250 domestic and foreign companies had settled in it. The preferential policies of the free economic zone include tax reduction and exemption, deregulation, and financial support. It also focuses on improving the business and living conditions of foreign businessmen. One of the advantages of the Korean Free Economic Zone is the relatively high level of internationalization of economic activities. South Korea has signed FTAs u200bu200bwith more than 50 countries including the United States, Europe, Japan and other major economies, covering more than 75% of the global economy. In addition, in some product categories, Korean origin labels are considered to have a competitive advantage. South Korea's infrastructure, legal environment, and labor quality are also highly evaluated. According to reports, the Gwangyang Bay Free Economic Zone is located at the southernmost tip of South Korea. It is mainly composed of the coastal areas of Yeosu City, Suncheon City, Gwangyang City in South Jeolla Province, and Hadong City in South Gyeongsang Province. The layout of the industrial park is based on Gwangyang Port. center. The attractiveness of Gwangyang Bay Area is mainly due to two aspects: Firstly, the geographical advantage is prominent. Guangyang Bay District is located in the center of the logistics of the three countries in Northeast Asia, and is also on the main channel from Northeast Asia to the Pacific Ocean. Gwangyang Port is South Korea's largest bulk cargo and second largest container cargo port, with a throughput of more than 300 million tons in 2019. Secondly, the Gwangyang Bay District is densely populated with large-scale heavy and chemical industrial enterprises and national industrial parks. The production capacity of steel and petrochemicals ranks among the top in South Korea and even the world, with a total output value of 110 billion U.S. dollars. The advantage of developing manufacturing is self-evident. The reporter of Science and Technology Daily learned that the expansion plan for the hinterland of Guangyang Port promoted by the Guangyang Bay District Management Office has been approved. The use of industrial land by foreign capital can be purchased on behalf of rent. The rent is about RMB 1.5 per square meter per month, unchanged for 50 years. Making this arrangement is undoubtedly a manifestation of soft power. 'Old Industrial Zone' Planning 'New Materials' According to reports, the chemical and steel industries in Gwangyang Bay District, but the speed of innovation and growth of traditional industries cannot match that of emerging industries. With the maturity of new energy technology, Jeollanam-do Province began to seek industrial upgrading, and determined the two major directions of new materials and high-precision parts represented by lithium battery materials. Jeollanam-do has launched a large-scale industrial park renovation plan to introduce the latest technology to improve old facilities, improve the park's environmental and safety standards, and ensure innovation capabilities and sustainable growth. In order to support new industries and new investments, Korea's first professional rubber testing and certification organization 'Advanced Rubber Material Support Center' opened in Jeollanam-do a few months ago. The first 'metal processing and heat treatment support center' is also about to start construction. At the investment briefing held in November this year, government officials and experts emphasized that KEPCO’s headquarters is located in Naju City, South Jeolla Province, and the 'Energy Valley' plan promoted by the Power Corporation, and that the central government has certified energy as a 'special regulatory zone'. New industry projects and other projects have all landed in Luozhou. The first lithium battery recycling project in South Korea promoted by the provincial government has attracted the participation of three major power battery companies in South Korea. Combining these favorable conditions with the lithium battery materials industry in Gwangyang Bay District, the light electric vehicle industry in Yeonggwang County, and the wind energy industry in the southwest coastal region, it will exert a huge synergistic effect. Pohang Chemical is in a new situation after entering the Gwangyang Bay Area. Posco's non-stop expansion of the production capacity of lithium battery materials and cathode-related materials such as lithium and nickel has also driven the growth of investment in high-tech materials. Cui Zhengyu, chairman of POSCO, judges that the lithium battery materials business will soon side by side with the group's steel business. The director of the Gwangyang Bay District Management Office and former acting governor of Jeollanam-do, Jin Jiaxie, said that Gwangyang Bay District must seize technological opportunities, cultivate emerging industrial clusters, and create future growth drivers. Many Korean media are concerned about the possibility of Korean companies winning in the global power battery competition. Some media predict that the Gwangyang Bay Area is expected to become a 'battery valley' and become a 'upstart' for high-tech materials in South Korea and the world. The competition is fierce. Pohang City, located on the east coast of South Korea, has also formulated a 'Lithium Battery Leading' strategy. Pohang has a research university, Pohang University of Technology, Pohang Accelerator Center, Pohang University Battery Research Center, and Pohang Iron and Steel Battery Materials Research Center, and its research and development capabilities are impressive.