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As China's "dual carbon" goal — peaking carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and ultimately reaching carbon neutrality before 2060 — leads the deep transformation of industries, a material revolution that uses agricultural waste as raw material to achieve negative-carbon production is accelerating in the Yangkou Port Economic Development Zone in Rudong county, Jiangsu province.

At the construction site of Evosil, located in the zone, the prototype of a modern production base with an annual output of 100,000 metric tons of bio-based nano silica has begun to emerge.

With an investment of 800 million yuan ($117.63 million), the project will see the construction of three production lines, including one production line and multiple supporting facilities in the first phase and two production lines in the second phase.

After reaching full production capacity, it is expected to achieve an average annual revenue of 900 million yuan and create 200 jobs.

The construction site of the modern production base, which aims to produce 100,000 metric tons of bio-based nano silica each year. [Photo/WeChat account: rudongfb]

The project has overcome the limitations of traditional silica production and created a new circular economy model using agricultural waste, such as rice husks, and carbon dioxide as raw materials.

The project's core innovation lies in replacing sulfuric acid with carbon dioxide as the precipitant, enabling 100 percent efficient conversion of raw materials. This breakthrough offers a replicable and scalable pathway for the green transformation of the traditional materials industry.

The project's location is no coincidence. In Rudong, surrounding industries such as rubber, tires, cosmetics, and construction have matured, forming a relatively complete silica industry chain. The zone is also a major production base for rice husk raw materials, offering abundant upstream and downstream resources.