World-class site brings innovation, efficiency and sustainability to
China
After four years of construction, Dow Corning Corporation and
Wacker
Chemie AG today officially inaugurated their joint integrated silicone
manufacturing site in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu province, China.The facility will
serve fast-growing demand for silicone materials in China and Asia.
The combined US$1.8 billion investment, covering 1 million
square meters, is China’s largest facility of this kind and is among the
world’s biggest and most advanced integrated silicone production sites.The
integrated site includes a siloxane plant and a pyrogenic silica plant, both of
which are jointly ownedby Dow Corning and WACKER. The site also features
finished silicone production plants which are owned and operated independently
by each company.
Siloxane and pyrogenic silica are key ingredients in the
manufacture of finished silicone products. Silicone-based materials are used in
nearly all sectors of China’s booming economy, including automotive,
construction, cosmetics and personal care products, electronics, power
generation and distribution, solar energy and textiles.
The landmark project began in 2006, and the first phase of raw
material production was launched in 2008. The combined capacity for siloxane
and pyrogenic silica is expected to reach approximately 210,000 metric tons per
year.
Dow Corning and WACKER are world leaders in silicon-based
materials. To better serve customers in China and Asia with their cutting edge
technology, the two global companies aligned in a joint venture to build the
largest silicone manufacturing site in China. The innovative alliance offers
experience and expertise to the silicone industry in Asia, which provides
enabling technologies and capabilities to a diverse set of industries.
During an opening ceremony held at the site today, Dr.
Stephanie Burns, Chairman and CEO of Dow Corning Corporation, and Dr. Rudolf Staudigl, President and CEO of Wacker Chemie
AG, emphasized the strategic importance of the manufacturing site.
“Today’s inauguration of our integrated silicone manufacturing
site represents a milestone for both companies,” Dr. Burns said. “While the
economic environment has changed a lot since we broke ground here four years
ago, our commitment to and faith in China’s future has never changed.
Throughout China and in many other parts of Asia, we see an increasing number
of manufacturers using silicones to improve the performance of their products.
Our investment in this site significantly enhances our ability to meet that
need and to spur growth in many key industries in this region.”
In his remarks, Dr. Staudigl said: “This is an exciting day for
both WACKER and Dow Corning, for our customers and for the people of China. The
site enables us to serve our customers’ needs, to support the development of
the silicone industry in China, to further grow our local business, and to
contribute to China’s circular economy, which is an important part in China's
commitment to sustainable development.”
At the integrated Zhangjiagang site, Dow Corning and WACKER
adhere to strict global environment health and safety standards (EHS) and
state-of-the-art production processes and technology to ensure high product
quality and performance. These include advanced processes for raw material
efficiency, a highly energy-efficient design and environmental control
technology.
The innovative joint-venture approach, operating shared
facilities, offers economies of scale through the sharing of power, utilities
and subsequent efficiencies. The integrated production technology plays an
important role in reducing emissions and logistical efficiency.
The closed-loop facility will allow the siloxane plant to
supply chlorosilane for the production of pyrogenic silica. In turn, the
pyrogenic silica plant will send back its by-product, hydrogen chloride (HCL),
for the production of siloxane. When the site does purchase raw materials, many
can be sourced locally, offering additional efficiency and cost benefits.
Dow Corning and WACKER are fully committed to sustainable
manufacturing in China. Like their other facilities around the world, the
integrated site was designed and built based on the principles of sustainable
development.
Both Dow Corning and WACKER are members of the Association of
International Chemical Manufacturers, China's first international association
that deals with chemical issues. The members work to continually improve their
performance in terms of environment, health, safety and security practices and
share best practices for sustainable production with their Chinese peers,
providing professional solutions to issues China and many other nations are
facing.
About Siloxane and Pyrogenic Silica
Siloxane is a key starting material for the production of
silicones. Major silicone application industries include: construction,
automotive, electronics, beauty & personal care, healthcare, coating, power
& utility, solar, textile, and paper. Pyrogenic silica is used as an active
filler in silicone elastomers, as a viscosity-adjusting agent in coatings,
printing inks, adhesives, unsaturated polyester resins and plastisols or as a
flow aid, for example in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical and food-processing
industries.
About Dow Corning
Dow Corning provides performance-enhancing solutions to serve the
diverse needs of more than 25,000 customers worldwide. A global leader in silicones, silicon-based technology and
innovation, Dow Corning
offers more than 7,000 products and services via the company’s
Dow Corning® and XIAMETER® (www.xiameter.com) brands.
Dow Corning is equally owned by The Dow Chemical Company and Corning, Incorporated. More
than half of Dow Corning’s annual sales are outside the United States.
Dow Corning’s global operations adhere to the American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care® initiative,
a stringent set of standards designed to advance the safe and secure management
of chemical products and processes.
About WACKER
Wacker Chemie AG (www.wacker.com) is a globally
operating chemical company headquartered in Munich, Germany. With a wide range
of state-of-the-art specialty products, Wacker is a leader in numerous
industrial sectors. Its products support countless high-growth end-user sectors
such as photovoltaics, electronics, pharmaceuticals and household/personal care
products. The Wacker Group posted total sales of about EUR 3.7 billion in 2009,
of which some 80 percent were generated outside Germany. Wacker employs
approximately 15,600 people at 26 production sites in Europe, the Americas and
Asia, and about 100 sales offices worldwide. Wacker Chemie AG is listed at the
Frankfurt (Germany) Stock Exchange (ISIN: DE000WCH8881).
Link here to fact
sheets, downloadable photos, and more on this world class integrated
manufacturing site.
Media Contacts:
| Dow Corning | WACKER |
Jarrod Erpelding (Europe and U.S.)
Phone: +1 989 496 1582
Fax: +1 989 496 4393
E-mail: jarrod.erpelding@dowcorning.com
| Christof Bachmair (Europe and U.S.)
Phone: +49 89 6279 1830
Fax: +49 89 6279 1239
E-mail: christof.bachmair@wacker.com
|
Cathy Yang (China)
Phone: +86 21 3899 5573
Fax: +86 21 5079 858
E-mail: cathy.yang@dowcorning.com
|
Jessica He (China)
Phone: +86 21 6100 3588
Fax: +86 21 6100 3500
E-mail: jessica.he@wacker.com
|