Synthetic rubber producer and a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, Arlanxeo, and Taiwanese synthetic rubber producer TSRC recently opened their newly relocated and expanded joint venture NBR (nitrile-butadiene rubber) plant in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China. The new plant produces a broader portfolio of high-quality NBR products with designed capacity increased to 40,000 tonnes/year to support the long-term growth in market demand in China and strengthen global NBR supply chain.
“The new jv plant underscores our commitment to strategic growth in the China market and the sustainable development of the rubber industry. Built on a decade-long partnership and deep engineering expertise, this new jv plant strengthens our production capabilities, ensuring a reliable supply of high-quality NBR products to our customers,” said Stephan van Santbrink, CEO, Arlanxeo.
“This project marks yet another successful collaboration with Arlanxeo to support the NBR customers,” said Joseph Chai, CEO, TSRC, “We remain confident in the long-term growth of the China chemical market and this new jv plant to capture new industry opportunities and deliver sustainable growth leveraging on Arlanxeo’s global leading position in NBR and the jv’s strong local operation.”
Established in 2010, Arlanxeo-TSRC (Nantong) Chemical Industrial Co. Ltd. is a 50:50 joint venture owned by Arlanxeo and TSRC Corporation. To support the government’s agenda of environmental protection along the Yangtze River, the firms announced the relocation of the jv company from the northern to the southern section of the Nantong Economy and Technology Development Area (NETDA) Chemical Park, Jiangsu Province in December 2021.
In response to growing demand for high-quality synthetic rubber, the jv company has further strengthened its business competitiveness with the introduction of Perbunan, a fast-cure NBR grade well-suited for specialised applications in automotive, aviation, oil and gas, food contact materials, while continuing to produce Krynac and Taipol NBR products.