Currently Henkel is building a 150,000 square-meter adhesives factory in Shanghai Chemical Industry Park. The new facility will be the main adhesives manufacturing base in China and the Asia-Pacific region. Upon completion, the new Henkel factory will be the largest adhesives factory in the world with an estimated annual production of 428,000 tons. Highest priority is on safety and sustainability. Kasper Rorsted visited the construction site during his trip to Asia.
The construction of the new adhesives factory is part of the company’s overall strategy to expand its capacities and launch new technologies in the growth regions. Currently, Henkel realizes 43 percent of its total sales within the emerging markets, and 53 percent of its employees are now working in those markets. The new state-of-the-art adhesives facility, which is scheduled to begin production in first quarter of 2013, will enable Henkel to cope with the rapidly growing demand in China and the Asia-Pacific region for its industry leading adhesives. The new factory will require a total fixed asset investment of 50 million euros. Henkel also plans to hire 600 employees to operate the new facility at its full designed capacity in near future.
“This investment is in line with our priority to expand our business in the emerging markets,” explained Kasper Rorsted, during his visit on the construction site. “China has been an important growth engine for Henkel, and we are confident that the plant will greatly enhance Henkel’s growth potential in the country.”
Saving energy and water
Highest priority is on safety and sustainability. Several measurements were implemented to reduce the footprint regarding Henkel’s strategy of decreasing the consumption of resources. To save energy, the induction lighting in all workshops and some solar powered site lighting will be used and help to save up to 50 percent of the electricity consumption in lighting. Furthermore the recycling of waste heat from air compressors helps to save 100 percent of the energy that is normally used by domestic hot water demand.
Also waste water will be recycled from the De-ironized water station, as well as packaging materials and containers recycling. To protect the environment around the site no underground tanks will be established to avoid possible leakage and pollution. Double-wall storage vessels and overhead installed pipes also protect against any leakage and ensure sustainable maintenance. Special spill containment design is also applied in all unloading spots to guarantee that there is no pollution of soil possible.