WACKER Expands Polymer Site in China and Builds two new Production Facilities

• AROUND €40 MILLION INVESTMENT AT INTEGRATED PRODUCTION SITE IN NANJING
• DOUBLING OF DISPERSION CAPACITY TO 120,000 METRIC TONS PER YEAR 
• NEW PLANT FOR POLYVINYL ACETATE SOLID RESINS 
• EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER AUGUSTE WILLEMS: “THIS INVESTMENT WILL STRENGTHEN OUR POSITION AS ONE OF THE WORLD’S LEADING MANUFACTURERS OF POLYMER DISPERSIONS AND GUMBASE RESIN”

Munich, March 5, 2012 – Wacker Chemie AG is expanding its Chi-nese polymer activities by investing around €40 million in building two new production facilities at its Nanjing site. As announced by the Mu-nich-based chemical group today, it is expanding the site’s existing facilities for vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer (VAE) dispersions by adding a new reactor with an annual capacity of 60,000 metric tons. This measure will double Nanjing’s VAE dispersion capacity to ap-prox. 120,000 metric tons per year, making the complex one of the biggest of its kind in China. The new reactor is scheduled to come on stream in mid-2013. At Nanjing, WACKER is also building a new plant to produce polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) solid resins with an annual ca-pacity of 20,000 metric tons. This plant is due for completion in early 2013.

The new production facilities will give WACKER sufficient long-term capacity to meet the strong demand for VAE dispersions and PVAc solid resins in the Asia-Pacific region. As a result, it will be able to continue offering its customers there consistently high delivery reli-ability and product quality in the years ahead. The main application fields for VAE dispersions lie in construction, coatings and adhesives. PVAc solid resins are used in industrial applications and to manufac-ture gumbase.

“These expansion measures are necessary to keep pace with our customers’ robust demand for top-class VAE dispersions and high-quality polyvinyl acetate solid resins in the future,” explains Auguste Willems of Wacker Chemie AG’s Executive Board. “By expanding our integrated site in Nanjing, we will strengthen our position as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of polymer dispersions and gum-base resin.”

WACKER’s fully integrated plant at Nanjing already produces vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer dispersions and dispersible polymer powders for the construction, coating, adhesive, and other industries. By bundling its Chinese polymer activities at a single site, the com-pany expects to gain decisive advantages and synergies – achieving economies of scale through a common infrastructure and energy supply. Additionally, it will be able to enhance its transport and logisti-cal efficiency.

For further information, please contact:
Wacker Chemie AG Media Relations & Information
Christof Bachmair
Tel. +49 89 6279-1830
Fax +49 89 6279-1239
christof.bachmair@wacker.com

The company in brief:
WACKER is a globally-active chemical company with some 16,300 employees and annual sales of around €4.75 billion (2010). WACKER has a global network of 26 production sites, 20 technical competence centers and 50 sales offices.

WACKER SILICONES Silicone fluids, emulsions, rubber and resins; silanes; pyrogenic silicas; thermoplastic silicone elastomers

WACKER POLYMERS Polyvinyl acetate and vinyl acetate copolymers in the form of dispersible polymer powders, dispersions, solid resins and solutions used as binders for construction chemicals, paints and coatings, adhesives, plasters, textiles and nonwovens, as well as for polymer materials based on renewable resources

WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS Biotech products such as cyclodextrins, cysteine and biologics, as well as fine chemicals and PVAc solid resins

WACKER POLYSILICON Polysilicon for the semiconductor and photovoltaic industries Siltronic Hyperpure silicon wafers and monocrystals for semiconductor devices