The city of Baotou in China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region is undergoing a significant transformation from a heavy industrial base to a key player in the country’s green energy transition. The city is becoming a hub for onshore wind power equipment manufacturing, with 44 companies producing turbines, blades, generators, and other components. One of the leading companies in this sector is the Ming Yang Group, which has expanded its operations in Baotou since 2021 and is now a major anchor of the local supply chain.
The company’s production lines are working at full capacity, with robots increasing efficiency and reducing production time. For example, robots can fasten 42 bolts on a single unit in just four hours, compared to 16 hours for human workers. The parts localization rate for turbine units is expected to reach 85% this year, allowing most core components to be produced within the city. The city’s ambition is evident in its investment in research and innovation, including the establishment of a smart energy research institute and an academician workstation for wind, solar, and hydrogen.
Baotou’s wind power equipment industrial park is designed to produce 1,500 turbines and 1,800 ultra-long blades annually, making it a model for developing new quality productive forces. The city’s steelmaker, Baogang Group, has also developed high-grade rare earth wind power steel, which is now widely used in turbine towers. This shift towards green energy is aligned with Inner Mongolia’s goal of installing 300 gigawatts of new energy sources by 2030. As of May 2025, the region’s installed capacity of new energy sources had surpassed 143 GW, making it the first region in China where renewable energy capacity has overtaken coal-fired power.
The city’s new 10 megawatt turbines are designed to withstand extreme temperatures and sandstorms, and are equipped with advanced filters and smart sensors. Each turbine can generate enough electricity to power 1,300 households for a month. Since production began in 2022, the Baotou facility has supplied equipment for over 100 projects nationwide, generating around 55 billion kilowatt-hours of green electricity. Overall, Baotou’s industrial shift towards green energy is a significant step towards China’s goal of reducing its carbon footprint and promoting sustainable development.