Recently, Fan Shunke (Deputy Secretary of China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association Party Committee and Chairman of China Nonferrous Metals Processing Fabrication Industry Association), along with a delegation, conducted a research visit to Gnasu Hailiang New Energy Materials. They were accompanied by Cao Jianguo, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hailiang Group and Chairman of Hailiang Co, Ltd., and Dr. Wang Shuguang, Vice President of Hailiang Group and Chairman of Gansu Hailiang New Energy Materials.
Cao Jianguo briefly introduced the construction progress and production situation of Gansu Hailiang in the first half of the year, as well as further insights into its future strategic positioning. He mentioned that Gansu Hailiang’s annual production capacity has up to 150,000 tons of high-performance copper foil, including 62,500 tons of lithium cell copper foil and 15,000 tons of copper foil for electronic circuit. Additionally, the 25,000-ton copper foil project in Indonesia has also commenced construction.
In the first half of 2023, its monthly production increased by 2.4 times, rapidly entering the major customer supply system. Hailiang possesses rich project management experience and an excellent talent pool. Cooper foil production in half a year and the overall construction within a year of phase Ⅰ project of Gansu Hailiang is seen as a remarkable achievement in the copper foil project. Furthermore, in terms of project intensification and automation, it is at the leading level in the industry. In the future, Gansu Hailiang will leverage its advantages in finance, talent, and more to simultaneously improve production, cost control, hedging, and automation, striving to surpass industry leaders and become a leading enterprise in the new energy materials industry.
Fan Shunke congratulated Gansu Hailiang on its achievements in product quality, after-sales service, product research and development, and intellectual property protection over the past year. He also offered several suggestions for its further development. He noted that there is a significant release of domestic copper foil production capacity, and there is already overcapacity. He suggested that Gansu Hailiang should fully leverage its brand and cultural advantages in copper processing, focus on lithium cell copper foil, meet the domestic needs of lithium cell industry while seeking opportunities for product exports and overseas market development. Additionally, he recommended increasing efforts in new product research and development, establishing a supporting research and development system, closely following the changing demands of domestic major manufacturers for copper foil, actively researching 3-5-micron copper foil, keeping up with the development of semi-solid and solid batteries, and developing cathode material production technology. He also emphasized the importance of training technology personnel, increasing patent applications, and actively participating in standard revision. Finally, he encouraged Gansu Hailiang to foster a sense of shared future, strengthen cooperation and exchange, and coordinate production capacity, while resisting malicious price competition below cost to contribute to creating a healthy market through “Hailiang’s wisdom”.
Jin Haiming (The Secretary-General of the China Nonferrous Metals Processing Fabrication Industry Association), Meng Jie (Executive Deputy Secretary-General of the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association Aluminum Branch), Liu Jianxing (Deputy Secretary-General), and Yuan Zhibin (Vice Dean of Gansu Hailiang Research Institute) were the participants of the research.