Covestro Waterborne Polyurethane Dispersion Plant Completed, Production and Service Capabilities Upgraded

● The new plant will start production in the first quarter of 2024

● Modular construction saves time and improves investment efficiency

● Lead water-based products to replace solvent-based products

● Gradually expand a more sustainable product portfolio

● Solutions cover transportation, infrastructure, home life, sports and leisure, printing and packaging and other application fields

Covestro announced that its new Shanghai waterborne polyurethane dispersion (PUD) plant has been completed and will be officially put into operation in the first quarter of next year to meet the growing demand for environmentally friendly coatings and adhesives in the Asia-Pacific region. As a water-based system, PUD can provide services for transportation, infrastructure, home life, sports and leisure, printing and packaging and other industries. Compared with traditional solvent-based products, it is more environmentally friendly but has no less performance. Covestro also announced that the new plant will start producing more sustainable PUD products within 2024.

“With the new production facility, we aim to provide Asia-Pacific downstream customers with a wider PUD product portfolio to help them achieve sustainable development.” Dr. Thorsten Dreier, Chief Technology Officer of Covestro, completed the construction of the new factory The ceremony said, “The modular construction concept adopted by the factory will also help us expand our production capacity more efficiently in future investment projects and respond to market demand in a timely manner.”

The new factory adopts modular construction, and its modular structure is manufactured by external contractors in Nantong, Jiangsu Province. After completion, it is transported to Covestro’s Shanghai integrated base for final assembly. This method effectively shortens the construction period and improves investment efficiency.

On August 23, 2023, Dr. Frank Doebert (left), Global Head of Engineering at Covestro, and Dr. Thomas Roemer, Global Head of Covestro Coatings and Adhesives Division, jointly pressed the button, marking the integration of Covestro in Shanghai The new waterborne polyurethane dispersion (PUD) factory in the base was officially completed. © Covestro

Covestro’s new waterborne polyurethane dispersion (PUD) plant in Shanghai was recently completed and will be officially put into production in the first quarter of next year to meet the growing demand for environmentally friendly coatings and adhesives in the Asia-Pacific region. © Covestro

High-performance PUD product portfolio leverages sustainable development

Relying on Covestro’s local R&D capabilities, the new plant will further enhance the company’s supply capabilities in the PUD field and enable the sustainable development of the coatings and adhesives industry in the Asia-Pacific region. For example, as a water-based system, PUD can promote the application and promotion of low-VOC solutions in the coatings and adhesives industry. At the same time, thanks to Covestro’s one-component technology, products such as furniture coatings and shoe adhesives produced by PUD can achieve more efficient coating and sizing, thereby improving overall production efficiency.

Dr. Thomas Roemer, Global Head of Covestro’s Coatings and Adhesives Division, said: “The expansion of Covestro’s PUD production capacity aims to strengthen its commitment to customers in the Asia-Pacific region, responding to and advancing the water-based development trend of the coatings and adhesives industry in the region. Guided by our full circular vision, we have been able to expand the options for our customers and partners to more sustainable solutions that offer performance comparable to traditional solvent-based products. We are therefore actively promoting environmentally friendly solutions large-scale application.”

Lei Huanli, President of Covestro China, said: “The new PUD production facility will help us better meet the growing demand for more sustainable materials in China and even the Asia-Pacific market. Covestro’s Shanghai integrated base is our place to empower customers and It is the key to the sustainable development of the downstream industry, and its strength will be further enhanced with the completion of the new factory.”

In the future, the new plant will produce PUDs with a share of biomass or recycled biomass raw materials, helping customers reduce their carbon footprint. The Shanghai integrated base has obtained ISCC PLUS certification in 2021, which means that it has the ability to mass-produce this kind of green and low-carbon PUD based on the mass balance method. To make more sustainable solutions in its portfolio more visible to customers, Covestro has introduced a new product suffix “CQ” (Circular Intelligence) to identify products with at least 25% alternative raw material content.

About Covestro:

Covestro is one of the world’s leading producers of high-quality polymers and their components. With innovative products, processes and methods, the company helps to promote sustainable development and improve the quality of life in many fields. Globally, Covestro serves customers in key industries such as mobility, construction and living, and electrical and electronics. In addition, Covestro polymers are used in fields such as sports and leisure, cosmetics and healthcare, as well as in the chemical industry itself.

The company is committed to full circularity and aims to be climate neutral by 2035 (Scope 1 and 2). In fiscal year 2022, Covestro will generate sales of 18 billion euros. As of the end of 2022, Covestro has 50 production sites around the world and approximately 18,000 employees (calculated as full-time employees).