Boss Talk on GD | Reliable raw material supply key to our continuous expansion in GBA: Vice President, Head of China and APAC, Clariant

Editor’s Note:Guangdong’s 2023 Two Sessions will kick off tomorrow on January 10. During the sessions, the 2023 Government Work Report will be released to unveil the blueprint for future socio-economic development. According to the Economic Work Conference of Guangdong province held earlier this month, Guangdong will optimize the foreign trade structure, encourage more foreign investment, improve outsourcing quality, develop close foreign economic relations, and attract more global talent. Many multinationals in Guangdong have seen great development opportunities. Now GDToday is launching a special series "Boss Talk on Guangdong". Please stay tuned.

“Known as China’s economic powerhouse, Guangdong enjoys a sound industrial base, good business environment and advanced industrial clusters. The province or the whole Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is home to many of Clariant’s customers. By continuously enlarging our presence here, we can be more responsive to the local market and providing more and more diversified solutions to our clients, said Andy Walti, Vice President, Head of China & APAC, Clariant, when sharing with GDToday before the 2023 two sessions of Guangdong. 

As the world's leading specialty chemical company, Clariant entered the Chinese market in 1995. 

With the largest investment in the Asia Pacific region, it built an ethylene oxide (EO) derivatives plant in Huizhou Daya Bay Economic and Technological Development Zone (in Guangdong) as early as 2009. And ever since then, it has been expanding its manufacturing footprint in GBA. 

Cementing Huizhou Daya Bay’s role as a flagship site  

In 2021, with an investment of 60 million Swiss Francs (CHF), Clariant launched its first Exolit® flame retardant plant also in Daya Bay, which will come on stream in 2023. 

In October 2022, it announced the second production line at its future Additives plant for Exolit® halogen-free flame retardants with an additional investment of 40 million CHF. And on December 15, 2022, it decided to expand its Care Chemicals facility in Daya Bay. With an investment of 80 million CHF, the project will be completed by the end of 2024. 

“In recent years, Clariant’s many major investment projects have settled in Huizhou Daya Bay Economic and Technological Development Zone, which is the decision after a comprehensive evaluation on many investment destinations around the world,” said Andy. 

The Zone, with a total land area of 293 square kilometers, is known as one of China’s top chemical parks. It boasts a superior geographic location and advanced infrastructure. 

Home to competitive industries like petrochemicals, electronic information, automobile and equipment manufacturing, it is known as a hot spot for business development and investment. 

He stressed that Clariant can not only use the facilities at the existing plants here but also find reliable and safe raw material suppliers in the upstream channels. Through purchasing local raw materials, the company can further meet the market demand and achieve a great synergy in the whole upstream and downstream supply chains. 

Promoting green and high-quality development of manufacturing industry 

For decades, Guangdong has been one of China’s leading manufacturing provinces. It has been promoting the development of emerging industries and pushing forward with industrial transformation so as to take the lead in the path of high-quality and sustainable development. 

“Through these latest 3 investments of over 180 million CHF in Huizhou, we hope to strengthen our cooperation with component suppliers and downstream customers. By giving full play to our advantages in innovative technologies and environmental-friendly green products, we can respond more rapidly to our clients’ needs and offer them customized solutions,” said Andy. 

Upon the completion of the new project in Huizhou, Clariant will produce more and more raw materials and excipients for medical use and provide the pharmaceutical businesses with innovative and sustainable solutions to continue strengthening its leading position in the local market. 

Apart from increasing local production and supply, it also aims to help its clients reduce their carbon footprint to achieve emission reduction targets. 

“Seizing the opportunities brought by our latest investment, we want to expand our influence in this regard. Driven by the ‘dual carbon' goal, our clients attach great importance to energy-saving and environmental-friendly products,” he added. 

In the future, he said that Clariant will enhance cooperation with partners in the local value chain and bring more innovative and sustainable solutions to local customers, thereby promoting green and high-quality development of the manufacturing industry in Guangdong or the whole China.  

Author | Fanny 

Editor | Wing, Olivia, Nan, Jerry