Henkel opens world’s largest adhesives factory in China

Henkel has officially opened the world’s largest adhesives factory in Shanghai.

With this new production facility the company is expanding its production capacity in a major emerging market, and will deliver its adhesive technologies more quickly to the growing number of customers based in China and the wider Asian region. This move is part of the company’s ongoing program to consolidate and optimize its global production network.

Henkel has invested more than €50 million in the plant, and said the investment is part of its effort to respond to the rising demand for industrial adhesive technologies in China and the entire Asia-Pacific region.

The facility also features a number of environmental initiatives, including condensed water recovery systems to reduce the amount of water used at the site and special translucent roofs to lower the amount of electricity used to power factory lights. There is also a system for recovering waste heat, and the factory includes filling equipment designed to prevent leaks and spills of adhesives.

The new factory comprises 150,000 sq m of space and is now the central production site for industrial adhesives in China and the Asia-Pacific region.

Annual output is forecast to reach up to 428,000 tonnes of adhesives.

Kasper Rorsted, chairman of the management aoard of the Henkel Group, said: ‘This new adhesives factory will contribute significantly to the achievement of our strategy 2016. It will enable our adhesives business to expand and leverage its global reach, and win market share in emerging markets.’

Jan-Dirk Auris, executive vice-president for adhesive technologies at Henkel, said: ‘The inauguration…is an important milestone for us and our customers. Having this larger production facility brings us closer to our customers in the region, not just geographically but also by reinforcing our commitment to partnering for innovation and mutual success.’

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