(Yicai) Nov. 13 -- Inner Mongolia aims to turn Baotou into China’s largest rare earth new materials base and a globally leading rare earth application hub, according to a new regional development plan released by the local government.

The outline of the plan for comprehensively promoting the construction of a “Beautiful Inner Mongolia” from 2025 to 2035 was published yesterday on the website of the local government of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It also proposes expanding exploration of unconventional natural gas and regulating the extraction of valuable metals from tailings and the utilization of industrial waste.

By 2035, Inner Mongolia plans to complete the optimization of its mineral resource development structure and spatial layout to significantly improve resource efficiency, the document said.

The plan highlights the vigorous development of new energy and the comprehensive protection and utilization of mineral resources to help build a key ecological security barrier in North China.

New energy development will focus on large-scale deployment of wind and solar power, with seven 10-million-kilowatt wind bases to be built in Baotou, Tongliao, Xilingol League, and other regions. Distributed photovoltaic and wind projects will also be promoted in border and desert areas.

In terms of industrial innovation, Inner Mongolia will develop hydrogen production from renewable sources, cultivate a “wind-solar-hydrogen-storage” industrial cluster, strengthen the carbon-based materials sector, and establish a national new energy equipment manufacturing base along with an integrated development zone for new energy and highly energy-consuming industries.

The region will also accelerate renewable energy substitution in industries such as ferroalloys, non-ferrous metals, and data centers, aiming for more than 300 million kilowatts of new energy capacity and a renewable power consumption ratio above 40 percent by 2030.

In mineral resources, Inner Mongolia will promote green exploration, intensive development, and large-scale utilization, and implement strategic actions for breakthroughs in mineral exploration, the plan added.

Editor: Emmi Laine