In this year's government work report, key terms such as "real economy", "new quality productive forces" and "green low-carbon" appeared multiple times, outlining a clear development blueprint for the non-ferrous metals industry. At an important starting point of the "15th Five-Year Plan", the non-ferrous metals industry is focusing on resource security as its foundation, technological innovation as its engine, and green transformation as its background, striving to "realize" more effectively, "innovate" more efficiently, and "go green" more vigorously, and writing a new chapter of high-quality development.
Focusing on "practicality": Strengthening resource foundation, consolidating the industrial security base
The real economy is the foundation of a powerful nation and the basis for development. The non-ferrous metals industry, as an important foundational industry of the national economy, shoulders the significant mission of ensuring national resource security and supporting the stability of the industrial and supply chains.
The government work report clearly states, "We must focus on the real economy as the main driver of economic development, develop new productive forces in accordance with local conditions, and build a modern industrial system." This provides an important guideline for the transformation and development of the non-ferrous metals industry. As an important part of the real economy, the non-ferrous metals industry not only serves as an important material support for strategic emerging industries such as new energy, aerospace, and integrated circuits, but also is an important field for cultivating and developing new productive forces. The government work report states that 200 billion yuan of ultra-long-term special government bonds will be allocated to support large-scale equipment renewal, which will directly benefit equipment renewal and energy-saving and pollution reduction renovations in areas such as electrolytic aluminum and copper smelting, injecting financial momentum for the industry's quality improvement and upgrading.
Ensuring resource security has always been a key issue for the development of the non-ferrous metals industry. This year's government work report emphasized that "we should enhance the supply guarantee capabilities of energy and resources", which is highly consistent with the development needs of the non-ferrous metals industry. Data shows that in 2024, China's import volume of non-ferrous mineral products reached 230 million tons, and the dependence on foreign sources for strategic minerals such as copper, aluminum, nickel, cobalt, and lithium remained at a relatively high level.
A representative of the National People's Congress and the chairman of Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group Holding Co., Ltd. suggested that the utilization rate of gold recycling should be increased, resources should be expanded, and international resource allocation should be optimized, so that gold can play a greater role in the national resource guarantee system. At the same time, he emphasized that basic metals such as copper and nickel also need to expand their reserve scale to stabilize the market and ensure industrial development; rare and scattered metals also urgently require the state to carry out orderly and planned large-scale reserves to meet the resource demands of future industrial development.
Seeking effectiveness through "innovation": Activate the innovation engine and cultivate new driving forces for industrial development
The deep integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation is the core driving force for promoting high-quality development of industries. Currently, the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is advancing rapidly, and the non-ferrous metals industry is accelerating its move towards high-end and intelligent directions.
The government work report states that "deepening and expanding 'artificial intelligence +'" and "promoting the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation" have opened up new development spaces for the non-ferrous metals industry. Policy support has enabled artificial intelligence to be applied on a large scale in scenarios such as resource exploration, ore sorting, and process optimization. At the same time, it encourages central state-owned enterprises and other large enterprises to open up application scenarios, providing opportunities for large-scale application verification of products such as high-purity gallium and high-end rare earth new materials.
National People's Congress representative and chairman of Tianeng Group Corporation, Zhang Tianren, said: "The government work report emphasizes the need to promote the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, which has greatly inspired us. The enterprise will collaborate in key core technology research and development such as solid-state batteries and sodium-ion batteries, as well as in digital transformation, to promote the deep integration of 'artificial intelligence +' with the manufacturing industry, and provide practical support for cultivating new driving forces in the industry."
Muan Sulang, a National People's Congress representative and the Party Secretary and Chairman of China No. 22 Engineering Group Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Minmetals Corporation, stated that the government work report has clearly set requirements for deepening the reform of state-owned enterprises, promoting the adjustment of the state-owned economy structure and optimizing the industrial layout. As a central enterprise, it should closely follow the deployment of the government work report, continuously deepen reforms, focus on enhancing the core competitiveness and strengthening core functions of the enterprise, and better serve the national strategy and the overall development of industries.
Data shows that by 2025, the output of ten types of non-ferrous metals in China will reach 817.5 million tons, and the operating revenue of large-scale enterprises will exceed 1.02 trillion yuan, with a total profit of 528.45 billion yuan. Multiple indicators have reached new historical highs, demonstrating the strong resilience of the industry's innovative development. Looking ahead to the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, the non-ferrous metals industry can only plan ahead and actively integrate into the new development pattern to seize new opportunities and cultivate new driving forces, and achieve higher-quality development.
Towards "Green": Promoting Low-Carbon Transformation, Enhancing the Color of Industrial Development
Green and low-carbon development has become an important direction for global industrial competition. The non-ferrous metals industry, as one of the sectors with relatively concentrated energy consumption and carbon emissions, accelerating its green transformation is not only a requirement of the times but also an opportunity for development.
The government work report clearly states that by 2026, the target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by approximately 3.8% will be achieved. This provides a clear direction for the energy-saving, carbon reduction and green development of the non-ferrous metals industry.
In recent years, the industry's energy conservation and carbon reduction renovations have been continuously carried out. A number of green and low-carbon technologies and processes have been widely promoted and applied. The aluminum industry has achieved carbon peak ahead of schedule, which is one of the landmark achievements of the industry's green development. At the same time, measures such as the substitution of clean energy, the application of green electricity, and the optimization of production processes are also being accelerated.
Zhang Tianren believes that green and low-carbon development has become an important dimension in global industrial chain competition. Enterprises should upgrade green development from a "compliance requirement" to a "strategic advantage". By strengthening carbon footprint management throughout the product life cycle, building a circular economy, and providing green energy solutions, etc., they can transform the "dual carbon" opportunities into new market competitiveness.
The deployment in the government work report regarding strengthening the recycling of renewable resources will also further promote the resource utilization of industrial solid wastes such as red mud and lithium slag, facilitate the continuous improvement of the resource recycling system, and help the industry achieve a green and low-carbon transformation.
Standing at the historical starting point of the "15th Five-Year Plan", the non-ferrous metals industry is embracing multiple opportunities brought about by policy empowerment, innovation-driven development, and green transformation. From the continuous consolidation of the "ballast stone" for resource security, to the accelerated cultivation of new productive forces as a "new engine", and to the continuous enhancement of the "background color" of green development, the non-ferrous metals industry will use practical actions as the brush and innovation as the ink to coordinate domestic and international markets and resources. It will forge ahead with determination in promoting high-level self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology and building a modern industrial system, and provide solid support for the construction of Chinese-style modernization.
