Invista broke ground on March 26 a new hexamethylene diamine (HMD) and polyamide (PA) 6,6 polymer plants at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP) in China.
“China is one of the most important regions for our growth strategy,” says Jeff Gentry, Invista’s Chairman and CEO. “We have seen significant growth in the region in recent years, and we plan to continue to bring our latest innovative technologies here. The theme of our groundbreaking event – Growing Together: a New Era of Nylon 6,6 – reflects the fact that we are working closely with our customers to build the local nylon and polyurethane markets.”
The 215,000-ton HMD plant and the 150,000-ton polymer plant are expected to start up in 2015. Invista has already received several government permits, most recently, the Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau granted Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval for the polymer facility.
In addition to the HMD and polymer plants, Invista has plans for a future, 300,000-ton adiponitrile (ADN) facility, which is said to be one of the most energy-efficient polyamide intermediate sites in the world.The overall investment in these plants will exceed US$1 billion, which will be the largest capital investment undertaken by Invista to date.
Warren Primeaux, President of Invista Intermediates, says, “We believe that China is driving global nylon demand growth, and the use of nylon 6,6 intermediates and polymer in the region will be increasing. The new facilities will enable Invista to provide customers with better service, shorter lead time and a local resource for production. We are excited to continue supporting the increasing regional demand for durable goods – products that can be enhanced by the use of nylon 6,6.”
