Norway’s Elkem, one of the pioneers in manufacturing silicones, says it has signed letters of intent with three Chinese customers, with a potential total contract value of more than US$150 million, at the 3rd China International Import Expo (CIIE) 2020 in Shanghai, China, where it is exhibiting. “China is the most important market for Elkem Silicones. After the initial impact of Covid-19, we now see demand recovering strongly. More than 50% of Elkem’s employees are based in China. While ensuring the safety of our employees, we have made every effort to ensure the smooth supply of products to customers, and the revenue has also grown steadily,” says Frederic Jacquin, Senior Vice-President of Elkem Silicones.
“We are the largest silicones producer in China and our strategy is to continue to grow and develop high-end products supporting the dual circulation strategy which is to create products and solutions with a personal touch for our Chinese customers, but also for the rest of the world,” says Jacquin.
“Elkem Silicones has enormous confidence in the development of the Chinese market. The three new partners have signed a cooperation agreement with us, which fully reflects their trust in Elkem. We are looking forward to working with Chinese customers on advanced materials shaping the future”, says Larry Zhang, Vice President of Elkem Silicones and Director of the Asia-Pacific region.
For the CIIE 2020, Elkem has doubled its booth space from 2019, presenting more than 30 silicones solutions that meet the current and future needs of the Chinese market. Key application areas and products include:
- Personal protection: A non-slip, anti-fog and comfortable silicone mask, designed and developed to fight the pandemic (Covid-19);
- Electric vehicles: Elkem Silicones BLUESIL battery thermal conductive materials used by the world’s top electric vehicle producers, and high-performance electronic thermal conductive material suited for charging piles;
- Architecture: A new generation of BLUESIL waterproof materials and energy-saving environment-friendly materials for buildings;
- 5G communications: 5G equipment sealing materials developed specially for the Chinese local market;
- Aerospace: Elkem SILGRAIN special silicon powder used by the Mars Exploration Rover satellite.
In addition, Elkem also presents several classic silicone products used in solar energy, agriculture and environmental protection at the CIIE.
Silicone is known as a catalyst in technological progress and social development. Elkem Silicones was among the first companies in the world to develop and produce silicone materials and silicone sealant. At CIIE, Elkem Silicones is showcasing its advanced solutions in the fields of smart travel, smart life, low-carbon environmental protection and clean energy.
Elkem also demonstrates its commitment to help boosting sustainable development of various industries and improve the quality of human life by providing cutting-edge materials.