Development Direction of the GRC Industry under the Carbon Neutrality Goal: The Path of Green Transformation and Low-Carbon Innovation

Low-carbon transformation is an inevitable choice for the GRC industry, with technological innovation driving carbon reduction across the entire chain. Under the guidance of the "dual carbon" strategy, the construction industry, as a key sector for carbon emissions, faces strict carbon reduction requirements. GRC (Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete), as a new type of architectural decoration material, is having its low-carbon potential widely explored. Qinglong Group, as a national high-tech enterprise and vice-chairman unit of the GRC industry, actively responds to the carbon neutrality goal, promoting low-carbon transformation across the entire chain from material R&D and manufacturing to engineering application, and exploring a path for the industry's sustainable development.

#Low-Carbon Materials: Reducing Carbon Emissions at the Source Material innovation is the core of carbon reduction in the GRC industry. Qinglong has intensified its R&D of low-carbon raw materials, using industrial solid waste to replace traditional aggregates—the proportion of recycled raw materials such as fly ash and slag has exceeded 30%. In the Yangshengtang Pharmaceutical Hangzhou Industrial Park project, the solid waste utilization rate of GRC components was raised to 35%, reducing carbon emissions by approximately 8kg per square meter of components. Meanwhile, low-carbon cementitious materials have been developed, with formulations optimized through admixtures to reduce cement usage, achieving a cement replacement rate of 20%, which both guarantees GRC strength performance (flexural strength ≥15MPa) and significantly reduces carbon emissions during production. In addition, the use of eco-friendly admixtures and water-based coatings is being promoted to reduce volatile organic compound emissions, achieving low-carbon development across the entire material life cycle.

#Energy-Saving Production: Improving Energy Utilization Efficiency The production process is a key lever for energy conservation and carbon reduction in the GRC industry. Qinglong carried out intelligent upgrading of its Nanning, Guangxi production base, introducing automated batching, forming, and curing production lines, raising energy utilization efficiency by 25% and reducing energy consumption per unit product to an industry-leading level. Clean energy replaces traditional energy: photovoltaic power generation systems installed on workshop roofs generate over 1 million kWh annually, meeting 15% of production electricity needs; a waste heat recovery system uses heat from the curing process for winter heating, reducing coal consumption. Meanwhile, an energy management system has been established to monitor energy consumption data in real time, further reducing carbon emissions through process optimization—for example, replacing traditional natural curing with steam curing has shortened the curing cycle by 50% and reduced energy consumption by 30%.

#Circular Economy Model: Promoting Efficient Resource Utilization Developing a circular economy is an important path for the GRC industry to achieve carbon neutrality. Qinglong has established a GRC component recycling system: offcuts generated during construction are crushed and screened, then reused as recycled aggregates in the production of low-strength GRC components, with a recovery rate exceeding 90%; for demolished waste GRC components, glass fibers and aggregates are recovered after harmless treatment, raising the resource utilization rate to 85%. In urban renewal projects, Qinglong adopts a "renovate and reuse old components" model—for example, in the GRC component renovation of the auditorium at the American International School of Guangzhou, old components were restored and refurbished for reuse, reducing carbon emissions from producing new components. In addition, modular design and prefabricated production are promoted to reduce on-site wet work and lower carbon emissions during the construction phase.

#Standard Leadership and Industry Collaboration: Building Collective Momentum for Carbon Reduction Achieving the carbon neutrality goal requires joint efforts from the entire industry. As a participant in industry standard-setting, Qinglong promotes incorporating low-carbon indicators into GRC industry standards and participated in drafting standards such as the "General Technical Conditions for Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) Non-Load-Bearing Components," clarifying the technical requirements and evaluation methods for low-carbon GRC materials. Meanwhile, Qinglong works with upstream and downstream enterprises to build a low-carbon supply chain, collaborating with aggregate suppliers and logistics companies to advance carbon reduction—for example, using new energy logistics vehicles to transport GRC components, reducing carbon emissions in transportation. It also actively participates in industry exchanges and cooperation, sharing low-carbon technologies and experience to drive the joint transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises—for example, hosting GRC industry low-carbon technology seminars to promote Qinglong's energy-saving production processes and recycling models.

Against the backdrop of carbon neutrality, the GRC industry is entering a critical period of green transformation. Qinglong Group, with technological innovation as its core driving force, promotes low-carbon development across the entire chain of materials, production, and application, setting a carbon reduction benchmark for the industry. In the future, Qinglong will continue to deepen its R&D of low-carbon technologies, drive the GRC industry toward becoming a resource-conserving and environmentally friendly sector, and contribute the industry's strength to achieving the "dual carbon" goals.