Approved by the People's Government of Inner Mongolia autonomous region in March 2001, Dalad Economic Development Zone (内蒙古达拉特经济开发区) is one of the 18 key economic development zones in Ordos. Under the guidance of the management and Party working committee, the development zone has eight functional organizations with expenses paid through a self-supporting financial management system.

Covering an area of 91.12 sq km, the development zone also has jurisdiction over Dalad Power Plant – Elion Industrial Park and Sanshangliang Industrial Park. The Dalad – Elion Park has formed a circular industrial development framework with an area of 12 sq km.

The Sanshangliang Park, covering an area of 79.12 sq km, is the core area of the development zone with an accumulative construction investment of 4 billion yuan ($580.1 million). With completed supporting facilities on water, electricity, road, gas, communication, fire control and environmental protection, the construction of a railway logistic park is underway.

The development zone focuses on developing coal power, clean energy and chemicals, new building materials (ceramics), new materials and modern logistics. 

At present, 114 related enterprises have settled in the zone, and 124 projects have been introduced.

Coal-power-aluminum industry

A total power capacity of 4.20 million kilowatts has been achieved, as well as a production capacity of 1 million metric tons of alumina, 180,000 tons of electrolytic aluminum and 42,000 tons of high-purity aluminum.

An aluminum strips project with a production capacity of 900,000 tons is currently under construction.

Plans are in place to construct the fifth phase of the Dalad Power Plant and the Jingneng Dalad Power Plant, along with in-depth processing projects for new metal materials such as aluminum and magnesium.

Clean energy and chemicals

This sector focuses on developing modern coal chemicals, chlor-alkali chemicals, biochemicals and hydrogen energy industrial chains. 

An annual production capacity of 1.5 million tons of methanol, 400,000 tons of ethylene glycol and 200,000 tons of stable light hydrocarbon has been realized, and facilities to produce 550,000 tons of dimethyl ether and 600,000 tons of acetic acid are under construction.

The zone has attained an annual production capacity of 48,000 tons of xanthan gum and 300 tons of abamectin, and it plans to build clean energy industries such as alcohol-based fuels and hydrogen fuels.

New building materials 

This project is for the development of new ceramic building materials and industrial ceramics industries. A total of 12 ceramic production lines have been built, and eight ceramic production lines are under construction.

New materials

The zone focuses on developing coal- and aluminum-based new materials and silicon material industries, and has built 600 sapphire single-crystal furnaces and achieved an annual production capacity of 3,000 tons of polyphenylene sulfide.

Projects with a production capacity of 1,000 tons of graphene, 100,000 tons of silicon carbide crystal materials, 120,000 tons of high polymer silicone and 200,000 tons of high-tech aluminum alloy are under construction.

In 2019, the total industrial output value above designated size in Dalad Economic Development Zone was 19.04 billion yuan ($2.79 billion). Meanwhile, the product sales revenue was 20.01 billion yuan, tax revenue was 1.36 billion yuan and fixed asset investment was 6.34 billion yuan.