"Linde has always attached great importance to participating in and growing in the market of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Our business closely aligns with the industrial development needs of the GBA." Michael Yi, Vice President of Linde Greater China, spoke highly of the huge opportunities that the GBA brings to Linde in a recent interview with GDToday.
An important player in the GBA market for a long time, Linde is deeply tied into the industry chain's upstream and downstream enterprises, offering solutions to industrial gases and engineering.
At the end of 2022, it was in Guangdong’s Huizhou that Linde signed a cooperation agreement with ExxonMobil, to supply industrial gases to ExxonMobil's projects by using Linde Gas Hub in the Daya Bay Petrochemical Industrial Zone.
In addition, Linde is also a major supplier of hydrogen energy applications in the Pearl River Delta, and is deeply involved in the lithium battery industry chain, electronics manufacturing, LED panels, semiconductors and component manufacturing.
In Yi's view, as the frontier window of China's economic development, the GBA has always been a model for optimizing the business environment and actively attracting and utilizing foreign investment. Foreign businesses can now expand their investment and development in China without fear thanks to the significant efforts and numerous initiatives that the central and local governments have put forth to attract and fully utilize foreign investment as well as to improve the business environment. Therefore, they can bring in innovative professional and technical resources to achieve a win-win situation.
"Energy transformation and the building of a modern industrial system are key development points common to the GBA and the whole country over a long period of time. Linde will seize these opportunities and continue to deepen our localized development and cooperation in the GBA."
Sustainable development, clean energy and new energy are important focuses
GDToday: What aspects of the GBA market are Linde most interested in?
Michael Yi:Linde focuses on the following three aspects. First, sustainable development has become an important direction for the GBA's industrial upgrading strategy. As a result of the targets of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, petrochemical and other industries within the area are paying more attention to energy conservation and emissions reduction, which Linde can offer solutions to.
Secondly, vigorously developing clean energy and new energy applications is one of the key strategies for the GBA. The Pearl River Delta is expected to become a national demonstration area for hydrogen energy applications. With advanced technology and equipment, market experience and professional service capability throughout the hydrogen energy industry chain, Linde can be a reliable partner for the thorough development of hydrogen energy applications in the region.
Finally, the new energy vehicle industry is also advantageous in the GBA. Linde's hydrogen energy whole industry chain capability and hydrogen energy technology reserve can provide strong support for hydrogen energy vehicles.
GDToday: What are Linde's new plans and expectations for cooperation with the GBA?
Michael Yi: Linde will further promote the low-carbon sustainable upgrading of high-quality industries such as steel and petrochemicals in the GBA, while actively promoting our safe, reliable and low-carbon gas collection port model to provide active assistance to the construction of a world-class green petrochemical base and the optimization of industrial infrastructure. Meanwhile, Linde will rely on the local strategic high-tech industry to deepen our local development in the e-Gas sector, offering firm support for the development of advanced manufacturing industries such as semiconductors, chips, electronics manufacturing and electric vehicles.
More confident to invest and develop in the GBA as the business environment keeps improving
GDToday:What do you think of the business environment in the GBA?
Michael Yi:As the frontier window of China’s economic development, the GBA has always been a model for optimizing the business environment and actively attracting and utilizing foreign investment. Recently, local governments have started direct conversations with businesses, such as the Guangzhou Government-Linde link, to increase productivity and give businesses a more comfortable experience. It makes Linde Group more confident about its long-term investment in the GBA.
GDToday: What are your assessments of foreign companies’ development prospects in China, especially in the GBA?
Michael Yi:The recently concluded Central Economic Work Conference has brought us new confidence and momentum for the long-term stable development in China.
Firstly, the conference proposed a series of measures to attract and utilize foreign investment with greater efforts, encourage further opening-up, which will create a more level playing field for foreign-funded businesses in terms of development. These will enable them to deepen investment in China without worries, and continuously introduce innovative professional and technical resources to achieve a win-win situation.
Furthermore, the meeting proposed some new industrial policies that will bring broader market opportunities for Linde and other foreign enterprises. For example, in order to achieve the goal of carbon peak and carbon neutrality, the conference recommended that the implementation of industrial policies be optimized, that traditional industries be transformed and upgraded, and that strategic emerging industries be nurtured and grown. It also suggested that new industrial competitive advantages be created. With such industrial policy directions, Linde can make full use of its advantages in the application of low-carbon technology and the whole industrial chain of hydrogen energy, continuously bringing in new technologies and processes to empower the sustainable low-carbon transformation of domestic industries.
Author | Abby
Poster designer | Lulu
Editor | Wing, Olivia, Nan, James
