Clariant Announces the Grand Opening of a New Plant for CATOFIN Catalysts in China

Clariant recently announced the grand opening of its new CATOFIN® factory in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province. Investing in innovative products such as CATOFIN® is a core element of Clariant’s strategy led by its latest corporate purpose – “Innovative chemistry for harmony between man and nature”. In addition, the new plant further expands Clariant’s already strong footprint in China, building on the existing nearby Shanghai Jinshan Catalyst Plant and its Catalyst R&D Center in the Clariant Integrated Park in Shanghai.

“This investment is part of our strategy to strengthen our regional footprint with leading catalyst technologies and increase local production supply in China in strong growth segments,” said Jens Cuntze, President of Clariant Catalysts and Asia Pacific.

CATOFIN® is a catalyst based on the propane dehydrogenation (PDH) process for the production of olefin products such as propylene. With its high reliability and production efficiency, CATOFIN provides propylene producers with excellent annual output, thereby improving the overall profitability of the plant. In addition, Clariant has developed special heat-generating materials (HGM) that reduce the energy consumption of the CATOFIN® process by a third, further highlighting the benefits of this extremely reliable and high-yield catalyst solution.

Wang Jianji, Global Vice President, Propylene Business Unit, Clariant Catalysts Business Unit, said: “The successful completion of this CATOFIN® plant has boosted our growth trajectory. Value Catalyst’s capacity positions us well to meet the needs of the region while ensuring closer proximity to strategically important customer segments.”

The investment in the production base was 80 million Swiss francs, and it took only 18 months from the groundbreaking in September 2020 to full production last year. The new plant features state-of-the-art digital operations, which are critical to ensuring the continued production of high-quality catalysts while increasing productivity.