On the morning of March 27, 2021, a delegation from the China Coking Industry Association led by President Cui Pijiang, Deputy Secretary-General Qiao Shikun, and Director of the Expert Committee Ma Xibo, paid a visit to the Design and Research Institute of Huatai for inspection and research. Huatai Chairman Xu Lie, General Manager Han Dong, Deputy Chief Engineers Zhang Xiaoguang and Bai Shouming, Director of Scientific Research Xue Gai Feng, and company expert Ma Kewei participated in the discussion and exchange. General Manager Han Dong provided an overview of the company’s development in recent years, with a particular focus on its scientific and technological innovation. The experts in attendance engaged in in-depth and extensive discussions regarding relevant projects.

During the discussion, President Cui Pijiang emphasized that in less than a year since his last visit to Huatai on May 26, 2020, the company had undergone significant changes and gained new insights. First, the company has advanced the development of its institutional mechanisms in accordance with modern corporate governance systems. Internal governance has been further refined, the organizational structure has become more rational, and highly effective operational mechanisms such as equity incentive plans have been established. Furthermore, this year’s work plan calls for further streamlining of internal regulations and a focus on foundational management areas such as workplace safety, all of which are essential for accelerating the company’s development. The workforce has continued to grow and notably, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company’s operations have remained unaffected by its dual-location setup. Second, Huatai’s spirit of innovation, courage, and its rigorous and conscientious approach are highly commendable. China’s CDQ technology has undergone more than 30 years of development, with its technology and applications now reaching world-class standards. With its business starting with CDQ, Huatai has continuously made breakthroughs and refinements in this technology. In recent years, the company has invested over 100 million yuan in its R&D, a truly remarkable and admirable achievement. Enterprises are the driving force behind innovation. By adhering to its mission of serving customers and creating value, Huatai has earned customer recognition and achieved a high market share in the CDQ sector. Third, with so many projects completed and new technologies developed, a solid foundation in basic research is essential. Benchmarking is necessary to ensure the company’s operations become more standardized and mature. Instead of being limited to the process from design to commissioning, projects undertaken by Huatai should also include developing procedures and regulations that are compatible with new equipment, technologies, and processes, as well as training on-site operators, thereby providing systematic service to clients. At the same time, the company should make greater efforts on refining and upgrading key projects, accelerate their transformation into practical engineering applications, expand the scope of promotion, and improve their return on investment. Fourth, with regard to Huatai’s current IPO efforts, going public is not an end in itself, but merely a means to promote the company’s development. Huatai must thoroughly consider the long-term goals of vertical growth and horizontal expansion. Through business model innovation, Huatai should integrate social resources, collaborate with other leading enterprises to address the shortage of research and development capabilities, tackle core and key technological challenges, accelerate the company’s higher-quality development and achieve mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. Fifth, Huatai has achieved its current success in just 10 years thanks to a harmonious, cohesive, dynamic, and vibrant team, particularly under the leadership of a chairman who is both visionary and ambitious. While future development goals have been established, they must now be translated into concrete measures. Sixth, Huatai’s business currently remains primarily domestic, with overseas projects just getting started. Practice has proven that Huatai’s team is capable, reliable, and trustworthy. Although there is still some room for growth in the CDQ construction for domestic coking plants, coking plants within integrated steel plants and over 50% of independent coking plants have already adopted the CDQ technology. The company should consider expanding overseas, seeking cooperation on international projects to boost its global presence. He expected Huatai to continue pursuing a faster and better development. Seventh, Huatai could address the issue of insufficient human resources by leveraging external resources.

Deputy Secretary-General Qiao Shikun and Expert Committee Director Ma Xibo deemed that Huatai is a dynamic and vibrant company with a strong sense of urgency. They noted that the company is adept at identifying weak links in the coking industry and is willing to invest significant human and material resources to research and resolve them. They also offered constructive advices and suggestions regarding the company’s development.

In closing, Huatai General Manager Han Dong expressed gratitude for the care and support the Association had provided the company over the years. He pledged that the company would never fail the expectations of the association’s leadership and would strive to achieve its goal of becoming a “world-class engineering and technology company” as soon as possible.