- Additional facilities increase WACKER’s supply capacity of silicone fluids, silicone emulsions and elastomer gels in China
- WACKER continues its successful “in China for China” strategy with this expansion
- Board member Christian Kirsten: “Increasing production capacities will help us grow our specialties business and secure our market position as a leading manufacturer of silicones in China.”
Munich / Zhangjiagang – WACKER is responding to rising demand for high-quality specialty silicones in China by expanding its production capacities at its Zhangjiagang site. The Group held a ceremony today to celebrate the mechanical completion of the facilities. Going forward, the new production complex will manufacture silicone fluids, silicone emulsions and silicone elastomer gels. Production is to be ramped up over the coming months. As planned, WACKER has invested a low three-digit million euro amount in the expansion project.
“Our investment here in Zhangjiagang shows that we are committed to our successful ‘in China for China’ strategy, even in economically challenging times”, Executive Board member Christian Kirsten said at the ceremony marking the completion of the production complex. WACKER has been operating successfully in China for more than 30 years. It currently generates 37 percent of its sales in Asia, with China accounting for around half of this amount. “By expanding our silicone capacities in Zhangjiagang, we are able to strengthen our specialties business. This secures our market position as a leading manufacturer of silicones in China”, Kirsten pointed out.
The products manufactured in the new facilities include high-purity functional and non-functional silicone fluids as well as silicone emulsions. Selected production lines will comply with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) manufacturing, creating products that can be used in the cosmetics industries. Another new development in Zhangjiagang is the production of silicone elastomer gels, up to now only manufactured in Germany and in India. Elastomer gels are particularly in demand from Chinese manufacturers of cosmetics and personal-care products.
“The expansion shows that we are determined to always stay ahead of market trends and to meet diverse consumer needs,” explained Alvin Hu, President of WACKER Greater China, during the ceremony. The project is the largest single investment in the site’s 15-year history. “This project is a strategic investment in the future. By increasing our production capacities, we can support growth in China over the long term. What is more, we are now able to support our customers’ product innovations and respond more quickly to current market requirements,” he emphasized.
Silicone fluids are frequently used in the consumer goods, textile and construction sectors, while silicone emulsions and silicone elastomer gels are typically used in textiles, cosmetics and personal-care applications, including makeup, shampoos and fabric softeners. Functional silicone fluids are important starting materials for industrial applications such as release coatings or impregnating agents. Other applications for silicone fluids include their use as additives for construction, paper, paints and coatings.
Zhangjiagang is one of WACKER’s largest fully integrated production sites. From here the company supplies rapidly growing Asian markets with a wide array of downstream silicone products such as sealants, elastomers and fluids. Silicones from WACKER are used not only in traditional fields of application, such as the textile, leather and fiber industries, as well as for chemical processes and coatings. They also play a key role in particularly innovative sectors, such as electromobility, the generation of renewable energy, and medical technology.
Florian Degenhart
Media Relations
Tel. +49 89 6279-1601
[email protected]
The company in brief:
WACKER is a global company with state-of-the-art specialty chemical products found in countless everyday items, ranging from tile adhesives to computer chips. The company has a global network of 27 production sites, 21 technical competence centers and 46 sales offices. With around 16,600 employees, WACKER generated annual sales of around €5.7 billion in fiscal 2024.
WACKER operates through four business divisions. The Silicones and Polymers chemical divisions supply products (silicones, polymeric binders) for the automotive, construction, chemical, consumer goods and medical technology industries. Biosolutions, the life sciences division, specializes in bioengineered products such as biopharmaceuticals and food additives. Polysilicon produces hyperpure polysilicon for the semiconductor and photovoltaic industries.
Website: www.wacker.com
