Kemira Oyj (Helsinki, Finland; www.kemira.com) announced the opening of its new alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) emulsion and cationic rosin production lines at its production site in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. With the inauguration of the new production line, Kemira is able to produce and supply all types of sizing agents (alkenyl succinic anhydride, AKD, cationic rosin, surface size) to serve customers in mainland China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Japan and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The investment broadens Kemira’s paper chemicals product offering and strengthens its already leading position in the pulp and paper industry.
“The demand for high-quality sizing products is increasing in APAC, especially for packaging and board grades,” said Nichlas Kavander, SVP, Commercial, Kemira Pulp & Paper, APAC. “With the new investment in our Nanjing site, we are able to produce the highest quality sizing products and leverage existing infrastructure. The location in Nanjing Chemical Park provides access to utilities and an excellent logistic network.”
Sizing agents are used for improving water resistance in paper and board. They are an important part of Kemira’s Total Chemistry Management (TCM) offering, which ensures access to best chemical technology and applications and smart process management technologies. AKD production technology in Nanjing site is based on the highest Kemira Best Available Technology (BAT) quality standard. This is vital when supplying sizing agents to high quality applications such as food contact board grades and liquid packaging board (LPB).
“Nanjing is the most developed and modern site in Kemira APAC using advanced production technology”, said Hanspeter Enzmann, VP, Manufacturing, APAC. “The new production line is highly automated to ensure safety, best quality and quality consistency. It utilizes raw material of Kemira’s own in-house production, ensuring that we are cost competitive and can guarantee the highest product quality in the market.”
Kemira’s production in Nanjing has been expanding since the start in 2014. In addition to these new production lines, Kemira continues to invest in the Chinese market and production in Nanjing site by opening a new ASA production line in the end of 2017.