Page 63 - Plastics News October 2023

IN THE NEWS

Covestro Breaks Ground on TPU Plant in China
other industries, we believe that locat-
ing our production in close proximity
enables us to collaborate optimally. To
underline that, an innovation center
will be part of the next phase of our
investment, enabling our researchers
to design customized material for-
mulas and do formula adjustments to
meet customer demands within very
short cycles.”
The new TPU site will enable Coves-
tro to provide high-performance,
sustainable solutions to its customers
faster and more flexibly. At the new
site in Zhuhai, Covestro shall even-
he site in Guangdong Province vices (smart speakers and cellphone tually offer products under its CQ
Teventually will be the company’s cases), automotive applications such (Circular Intelligence) label. Products
largest production site for urethane- as paint protection film, and protec- labeled as such consist of at least 25%
based elastomers. tion of wind turbine blades. alternative, non-fossil raw materials,
Covestro recently broke ground on "We are excited to announce that such as recycled and bio-based resins.
its new thermoplastic polyurethane construction at our new TPU site has The site will also utilize the most ad-
(TPU) production site in Zhuhai, commenced. It shows our commit- vanced production technologies and
China. The investment was initially ment to strengthen our production be run on 100% renewable power.
announced in February. The new site network for our Solutions & Special- “Together with recent investments in
will be built in three phases, with total ties business entities overall and for new plants for elastomers and polyu-
capacity eventually expected to reach the TPU business in particular,” said rethane dispersions and a facility for
120,000 tonnes/year of TPU after Dr. Andrea Maier-Richter, head of the mechanical recycling of polycar-
the final expansion phase, which will TPU at Covestro. “It reinforces our bonates at the site on the outskirts
make it the company’s largest TPU position as one of the leading global of Shanghai, our new site for TPU
production site. Mechanical comple- suppliers of TPU and puts us right [in Guangdong Province] in south-
tion of the first phase, with capacity of where important value chains are." ern China aims to capture the robust
30,000 tonnes per year, is slated for "We are committed to working close- growth of the core industries served
2025. The final phase is expected to ly with our customers and partners," by our Solutions & Specialties busi-
be completed in 2033. added Lisa Ketelsen, head of TPU ness entities in China, the region, and

TPU is a versatile thermoplastic plas- APAC at Covestro. “As Guangdong worldwide,” said Covestro China
tic material used in a variety of appli- Province is a major hub for the IT, President Holly Lei.
cations such as sports shoes, IT de- consumer electronics, footwear, and

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PLASTICS NEWS 6363
October 2023 PLASTICS NEWS