ICI invests in second emulsion polymerisation facility in China

15 December 2006 – Imperial Chemical Industries, ICI, has started constructing a $20m facility at the Songjiang Industrial Development Zone in Shanghai.

Scheduled for completion in mid-2007, the plant will produce specialty polymers and solution acrylic adhesives for high-end tapes and labels, packaging and decorative coatings.

Operated by National Starch, an ICI business, the plant will have a capacity of 45,000tpa, and a staff of 40. Sam Ewe, senior corporate vice president of National Starch, said the investment represents a key part of ICI’s strategy to expand local manufacturing capability to include more differentiated product ranges. “The investment is in line with ICI’s announced ‘grow aggressively’ strategy for Asia,” he added.

ICI has eight facilities in China, employing some 2,000 people, and in 2005 had sales of US$400m.