A city in eastern China is building what it calls the country's first factory to turn clean electricity into digital tokens. Changzhou says the facility will convert renewable power into blockchain based assets that can be traded like carbon credits.
A factory that mines tokens from solar and wind power
The project is being developed by the Changzhou city government in partnership with a local technology firm. The factory will take electricity generated from solar panels, wind turbines and other clean sources and convert it into digital tokens on a blockchain platform. Each token will represent a verified unit of green energy. The system is designed to track the origin of the power and ensure it is not double counted. City officials say the factory will help local businesses prove they are using clean electricity and allow them to trade surplus green energy credits.
Why local officials and businesses are paying attention
Changzhou is an industrial hub in Jiangsu province with a large manufacturing base. Many factories in the area are under pressure from national carbon reduction targets and from international buyers who want to verify that products are made with clean energy. The token factory gives local companies a way to certify their green power use and potentially earn revenue from excess renewable generation. For the city government, the project is a test of how blockchain technology can support China's broader goal of peaking carbon emissions before 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality by 2060.
Changzhou's move is part of a wider push in China to use digital tools for environmental accounting. The city says the factory will be the first at the municipal level to combine clean power generation with tokenization. If it works, other industrial cities in China may follow with similar projects.
