Ordos develops through green, industrial transformation

Ordos city in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region – once known for its cashmere, coal, kaolin, and natural gas – is reshaping its resource-based economy through industrial upgrading, clean energy, and ecological restoration.

Cashmere remains a cornerstone of the local economy. Ordos accounts for 25 percent of China's cashmere output and 15 percent of global production. Its industrial chain spans raw material collection, processing, textile manufacturing, and garment production, supported by over 100 related enterprises. The city is also strengthening research and development and helping shape international industry standards to boost the competitiveness of Chinese cashmere in global markets.

Meanwhile, Ordos is working to shift from coal extraction to higher-value production. Last year, the city supplied 420 million metric tons of coal for power generation under China's national energy supply program, accounting for 18.5 percent of the national total.

At the same time, coal-to-chemicals projects are turning the resource into industrial feedstocks. A major coal-to-olefins facility in Uxin Banner can produce 3 million tons of polyolefins annually, helping reduce reliance on imported oil.

Green energy and desertification control are also driving the city's transition. In Dalad Banner, a photovoltaic belt stretching nearly 400 kilometers along the Kubuqi Desert combines solar power generation with vegetation restoration. The project has installed 12.84 million kilowatts of solar capacity and brought 800,000 mu (about 53,333 hectares) of land under photovoltaic-based desertification control.

Desert agriculture is also creating new economic opportunities. At a blueberry cultivation base in the Engebei Ecological Demonstration Zone, modern greenhouses equipped with automated water and fertilizer systems enable blueberries to grow in the desert. Strong sunlight, cool nights, and fewer pests help produce sweet, high-quality fruit, which is sold to supermarkets in Beijing, Shanghai, and other major cities for 200 yuan ($29.89) to 300 yuan per half-kilogram.