MOSCOW (MRC) -- Clariant, a focused, sustainable and innovative specialty chemical company, has announced the official opening of its One Clariant Campus in Shanghai, China, as per the company's press release.
Across a total floor space of approximately 24,000 m2, the Campus will be home to Clariant’s Greater China Operational Headquarters as well as the Innovation Center China.
“The One Clariant Campus is an important milestone for our dedicated China strategy. By locating our teams in the China organization under one roof and providing them with state of the art equipment in the Clariant Innovation Center China, we increase their ability to innovate and to exchange insights on market trends and customer needs. As a result, the One Clariant Campus will be a strong driver to further strengthen our market position in China and beyond”, said Conrad Keijzer, CEO of Clariant.
The Chinese market represented 10% of Clariant’s sales in 2020, totaling CHF 402 million. In order to increase its share of the Chinese market, the world’s largest chemicals market overall as well as for specialty chemicals, the company pursues a dedicated strategy of becoming a true “China Insider” by fostering five key local elements: insight, competitiveness, empowerment, innovation and partnering. To achieve this, Clariant invests significantly in China. In addition to the CHF 45 million invested in the Campus, Clariant recently announced the construction of a new CATOFIN catalysts production facility in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, and its joint venture facility with Tiangang Auxiliary in Cangzhou, Hebei province, is opening soon.
“As an integral part of the One Clariant Campus, the new innovation center will foster Clariant’s research and development capabilities in China. While the new facilities will greatly enhance the abilities of our own teams, we will also step up our cooperation with local key customers and key suppliers by inviting them to co-locate in our center for the joint development of next generation products. Supported by additional cooperation with academic partners and other industrial partners, the center will be the beating heart of our innovation efforts in China”, commented Martin Vollmer, Clariant’s Chief Technology Officer.
As MRC reported earlier, in October 2020, Clariant (Muttenz, Switzerland) announced the construction of a new state-of-the-art catalyst production site in China. This project represents a significant investment which further strengthens Clariant’s position in China and enhances its ability to support its customers in the country’s thriving petrochemicals industry.
The new facility will be primarily responsible for producing the Catofin catalyst for propane dehydrogenation, which is used in the production of olefins such as propylene. Thanks to its excellent reliability and productivity, Catofin delivers superior annual production output compared to alternative technologies, resulting in increased overall profitability for propylene producers, says the company. Construction at the Dushan Port Economic Development Zone in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province was scheduled to commence in Q3 2020, and Clariant expects to be at full production capacity by 2022.
Propylene is the main feedstock for the production of polypropylene (PP).
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 141,870 tonnes in January 2021 versus 123,520 tonnes a year earlier. Supply of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased.
Clariant AG is a Swiss chemical company and a world leader in the production of specialty chemicals for the textile, printing, mining and metallurgical industries. It is engaged in processing crude oil products in pigments, plastics and paints.
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