Amidst the rapid shift from old to new energy sources, traditional refining companies like Chambroad are embracing transformation and upgrading as essential pathways to sustainable development. Moving beyond its label as an "old refinery," Chambroad is leveraging Party leadership and scientific innovation to breathe new life into "old industries" and bolster "new industries".
Through unremitting independent innovation, Chambroad realizes the transformation to a professional, specialized, unique, innovative chemical center. Exploring diversified development around the core business of high-performance materials and high-end chemicals, Chambroad offers specialized high-end equipment and core industrial services. In 2022, Chambroad achieved revenue of 76.3 billion yuan and contributed tax revenue of 7.1 billion yuan, ranking 311th among the top 500 Chinese enterprises and 333rd among the top 500 Asian enterprises.
Chambroad, a private enterprise group's vivid journey toward innovation and excellence 
Chambroad Industrial Park
Science and innovation drive the transformation from "old refining" to a "high-tech, specialized" enterprise
"A shining example of Chambroad's innovative spirit is its development of polybutylene alloy (PB-A), colloquially known as 'plastic gold'. This material, developed by Chambroad, enhances the toughness of products like polypropylene and nylon thanks to its high impact resistance. Its applications extend to easy-tear and peelable packaging films due to its incompatibility with polyethylene and exceptional airtightness. Furthermore, its high rigidity and abrasion resistance make it ideal for use in the chemical industry and mining plates, offering enhanced pressure and heat resistance, better heat dissipation, and an extended lifespan." A staff member at Chambroad introduces this innovative product, pointing to a display of milky-white oblate particles. The advent of PB-A by Chambroad has broken the foreign monopoly in high-end pipe materials.
The development of polybutylene alloy (PB-A) is a testament to Chambroad's successful energy transition and industrial transformation. This strategic shift has enabled Chambroad to break free from the constraints of traditional, local crude oil refining businesses characterized by outdated energy sources, high energy consumption, and a narrow product range. The company has successfully transitioned its business model from "oil business mainly" to "a balanced emphasis on oil, chemical products, and high-performance, specialty new materials".
"Chambroad has always been powered by scientific and technological innovation in the transformation." To encourage group-wide innovation, Chambroad has set up various scientific and technological innovation awards with a maximum prize of 2 million yuan. Chambroad Research Institute can carry out independent innovation and build a core competitive advantage. With a science and technology innovation center and key laboratories nationwide, Chambroad can connect with colleges and institutes to build an innovation network structure. Equipped with core scientific research equipment, results transformation base and other high-quality resources, the company has formed a high-quality talent team of more than 2,100 members. In 2022, Chambroad invested 1.1 billion yuan in scientific research, and the proportion of scientific researchers will be close to 10%.
In addition, Chambroad has established the Chambroad Science and Technology Award in conjunction with the Chinese Chemical Society. This initiative aims to foster scientific and technological innovation and the transformation of achievements in the fields of chemistry, chemical engineering, and materials science within universities and research institutes. Since its establishment in 2019, the Chambroad Science and Technology Award has attracted over 100 academicians and more than 1,000 university leaders, covering 94.59% of Project 985 institutions and 82.14% of Project 211 institutions. To date, 51 academicians have participated in the award's nomination process, resulting in a total of 386 awardees.
As of now, Chambroad boasts a robust portfolio of intellectual property rights, with nearly 2,714 patent applications, 782 authorized invention patents, 2,168 valid registered trademarks, and involvement in the formulation, revision, and publication of 202 standards. Currently, projects focusing on high-performance materials and high-end chemicals constitute over 70% of Chambroad’s research endeavors.
N1N Learning and Training Scene
Industry-education integration to promote "four-chain convergence"
Leveraging innovative CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage) technology for new carbon mineralization materials, Chambroad is leading the way in sustainable practices. This technology utilizes industrial waste gases with a carbon dioxide concentration of ≥10%, transforming bulk solid wastes like steel slag, fly ash, and furnace slag from the iron and steel, electric power, and cement industries. These materials undergo mineralization reactions with carbon dioxide, yielding "negative carbon materials" used in architectural decoration and achieving mass production.
ChamTopper Factory
This breakthrough CCUS technology, which turns waste into valuable resources, is a product of collaborative research and development by Wuhan University of Technology and Chambroad. The platform that facilitated this successful partnership between Wuhan University of Technology and Chambroad is the "N1N" Teaching, Training, and Research Transformation Base established by Chambroad.
Chambroad's origins as a school-run factory have ingrained a deep respect for university-enterprise cooperation and industry-education integration. In 2019, the company established the "N1N" training and research transformation base. This initiative aims to transform the industrial platform into a joint teaching, training, and research transformation base for numerous universities and research institutes, promoting the integration, co-creation, sharing, and mutual success of multiple industries within society.
"Chambroad adheres to the philosophy of not just owning resources but effectively utilizing them. The company aspires to break through key industrial technologies and solve critical industry 'bottlenecks' through the 'N1N' model, incubating and translating industrial achievements for the benefit of society at large."
N1N Learning and Training Scene
The Chambroad N1N Teaching, Training, and Research Transformation Base actively encourages faculty and students to engage with their scientific research projects and subjects. Leveraging Chambroad's rich resources, diverse specialties, abundant scenarios, and comprehensive facilities, the base not only aids in achieving breakthroughs in research topics but also facilitates the transformation of these scientific achievements into practical applications. It also plays a pivotal role in the cultivation of applied research talent. This initiative fosters the organic integration of the educational, talent, industrial, and innovation chains, embodying the ethos of "translating research papers into real-world applications and nurturing talent through practical experience". To date, the base has collaborated with over 10,000 teachers and students from more than 100 universities, successfully translating some of the research findings into practical applications.
With the effective exploration of university-enterprise integration, Chambroad has been successfully selected as one of the first batches of national industry-teaching integration enterprises and has won more than 20 honors for industry-teaching integration at provincial and ministerial levels.
Chambroad Zhitai Plaza
Diversified planning to realize "honeycomb" development
Looking to the future, Chambroad faces a strategic decision: "Should we become a conglomerate with a tax contribution of hundreds of billions, or foster a thousand entities, each contributing hundreds of millions in taxes?" Chambroad has chosen the latter path.
At Chambroad, specialization coexists with versatility. The company is dedicated to refining its core petroleum industry while simultaneously developing high-performance materials and high-end chemicals, complemented by specialized high-end equipment and core industrial services. Furthermore, Chambroad is implementing a large "wasp nest" strategy, laying out a diversified development plan to provide global customers and partners with high-quality products, services, and systemic solutions, showcasing a balance between deep expertise and broad capabilities.