Invista has started construction on a plant in Shanghai that will expand its nylon production by producing 400,000 tons of the fiber’s key ingredient per year.
The company said the more than $1 billion investment in the adiponitrile (ADN) plant at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP) will help meet the growing demand for nylon 6.6 chemical intermediates in China and the Asia Pacific region.
“With support from all parties, Invista has successfully initiated the construction of the ADN facility within 10 months,” Ma Jing, director general of the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park administrative committee, said. “The ADN project enriches the value chain of SCIP, while accelerating the industrial upgrade of the Shanghai chemical industry. SCIP will provide continuous services to ensure that the project will be completed as soon as possible, and production will be started as soon as possible to yield tangible benefits for the market.”
The plant will deploy Invista’s most advanced, energy-efficient ADN technology in China to satisfy the strong local demand for the intermediate ingredient used in the production of nylon 6.6. When complete, the new ADN plant will integrate with Invista’s existing HMD (another nylon ingredient) and polymer facilities to supply domestic customers, as well as those throughout the Asia Pacific region, with the inputs they need for production.
“The growing demand for high-quality nylon products in China and the Asia-Pacific region, and the continued optimization of the business environment in Shanghai, have given us the confidence to continue investment here,” Jeff Gentry, Invista chairman and CEO, said in a speech delivered via video at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Invista said the ADN project will also help to cultivate local talent, bring more employment opportunities and promote the development of relevant collaborative industries to further enhance the local community’s economic strength.
“We truly appreciate all the support from the government, our trusted partners and customers throughout the process, which has led to today’s important start of construction, and we are proud to say we are well on track to start ADN production in 2022,” Kyle Redinger, vice president of Invista Nylon Intermediates Asia Pacific, said. “Once the ADN plant is completed, Shanghai will be home to the largest integrated nylon production facility in the world, from ADN through to high-performance polymers.”