Hailiang Co., Ltd. plans to invest 5.05 billion yuan to expand high-end copper foil and promote global expansion with 23 production bases

Yangtze Business Daily News ● Yangtze Business Reporter Jiang Chuya

Global leading copper processing company Hailiang Co., Ltd. (002203.SZ) makes a major investment targeting the new energy sector.

On March 31, Hailiang Co., Ltd. announced that its controlling subsidiary plans to invest 5.05 billion yuan to build an electrolytic copper foil production line with an annual capacity of 67.5k tons, accelerating its transformation from traditional copper processing to a high-end new energy material solutions provider.

Hailiang’s capacity expansion is a key part of its global strategy and capital deployment. The company has established 23 production bases worldwide, with products sold to over 130 countries and regions. In the first three quarters of 2025, Hailiang’s copper processing sales exceeded 750k tons.

In terms of performance, in the first three quarters of 2025, the company achieved a net profit of 995 million yuan after deducting non-recurring gains and losses, a year-on-year increase of 46.59%.

Investing 5.05 billion yuan to expand high-end copper foil capacity

According to the announcement released by Hailiang Co., Ltd. on March 31, its controlling subsidiary Gansu Hailiang New Energy Materials Co., Ltd. plans to invest 5.05 billion yuan in its headquarters in Zhuji, Zhejiang, to build an electrolytic copper foil production line with an annual capacity of 67.5k tons.

This copper foil project will be constructed in three phases over approximately 60 months. The first phase, with a capacity of 17.5k tons, is scheduled to start construction in July 2026; the second phase, with 32.5k tons, and the third phase, with 17.5k tons, are planned to commence in June 2027 and June 2029, respectively. Once fully operational, the project will form an annual capacity of 67.5k tons of electrolytic copper foil. The second and third phases will be adjusted dynamically based on market orders and power supply conditions.

Zhuji was chosen as the site because it is a key strategic location for Hailiang. As the headquarters, Zhuji has a complete copper processing industry chain and benefits from the Yangtze River Delta regional advantages, enabling efficient coverage of core customers in new energy vehicles, energy storage, and PCB industries, and quick response to high-end customized demands.

This move will create a “north-south linkage” with the Gansu base, leveraging the Yangtze River Delta’s market and industrial advantages while supporting capacity and technological accumulation in Gansu, filling the gap in high-end copper foil capacity.

In the first half of 2025, Hailiang’s copper foil sales reached 24.4k tons, a significant year-on-year increase of 72.33%. In the first three quarters of 2025, the company’s copper processing sales exceeded 750k tons.

The company stated that this capacity expansion will further strengthen its competitiveness in lithium battery copper foil and PCB copper foil fields, and promote an increase in the proportion of high value-added products.

Global deployment of 23 production bases

Hailiang’s copper foil expansion is a crucial part of its global strategy and capital layout. The company has established 23 production bases worldwide, covering Asia, Europe, North America, and Africa. Its products are sold to over 130 countries and regions. In 2024, overseas revenue reached 32.36 billion yuan, accounting for 37.0%.

In terms of performance, in the first three quarters of 2025, the company achieved a total operating revenue of 67.5k yuan, a decrease of 4.56% year-on-year; net profit attributable to shareholders was 925 million yuan, up 5.21%; and net profit after deducting non-recurring gains and losses was 995 million yuan, up 46.59%.

On the capital front, the company is advancing its “A+H” dual-platform layout. On January 30, 2026, Hailiang submitted an application for listing on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, with CICC and GF Securities acting as joint sponsors. The fundraising will be used for the construction of bases in Morocco and Indonesia, R&D of advanced copper-based materials, and global expansion.

Industry experts believe that this 5.05 billion yuan copper foil project, combined with the Hong Kong IPO, will create synergy and help Hailiang secure a more advantageous position in the global copper processing and new energy materials sectors. The company is building a “traditional copper processing + new energy copper foil + AI copper-based materials” three-business matrix, leveraging technological innovation and global deployment to achieve a leap from scale leadership to technological and value leadership.

Editor: ZB

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