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Kemira: ASA and AKD products from the world’s most advanced units for the Asian market

style=width:200px;height:200pxKemira will be launching the production of ASA sizing agents in Nanjing, China. The production line is part of the Nanjing EUR 25 million project Kemira informed the market at the beginning of this month. This investment enhances Kemira’s customer service in China by offering also process chemicals and applications for water-intensive industries such as the paper industry. These products include biocides, defoamers, deposit control agents, dispersants and deinking chemicals.

Nanjing’s ASA products are part of Kemira’s versatile palette of sizing agents with which the company is attending to the needs of Asia’s growing paper and board production. These chemicals are used in papermaking in sizing both virgin fiber and recycled pulp.

The new unit in Nanjing is optimally situated being close to major customers and as well as to Kemira’s Asia Technology Center in Shanghai. The new ASA line is the world’s most advanced and most cost-efficient unit.

Moreover, the expansion of the joint venture Kemira-Tiancheng Chemicals (Yanzhou) Co. Ltd., established in 2009, strengthens the company’s position as a provider of process chemicals for the paper industry in Asia. The second AKD production line (AKD = alkyl ketene dimer) was launched in Yanzhou recently. This is the world’s largest AKD plant and it produces the highest-quality AKD, which is likewise used as a sizing agent in the paper and board industry.

Kemira-Tiancheng is China’s leading manufacturer of AKD. Among AKD sizing applications are office stationery, packaging board, and liquid packaging board. Sizes improve printability by reducing the propensity of paper to absorb ink. When used in liquid packaging cartoons, AKD products prevent the contents from being absorbed into the packaging material.

Kemira’s strategy is to reinforce its presence in Asia. Kemira is the leading producer of synthetic sizes and the investment strengthens further our position. The water-intensive industries need solutions of high quality and high efficiency, and we offer these relying on our experience of long standing and on our comprehensive product palette. Our state-of-the-art production facilities in Yanzhou and Nanjing will be a strong base for serving the world’s biggest and most powerfully growing market, says Ronald Kwan, head of Kemira’s Asia Pacific region,

Construction work in Nanjing is due to begin next year and this plant, owned 100% by Kemira, will go on-stream in 2012. It will have a staff of about 100 persons. As regards Kemira-Tiancheng Chemicals (Yanzhou) Co. Ltd, Kemira owns 51% and Kemira’s Chinese partner 49%. The plant is situated in Yanzhou and it has a combined staff of about 180 persons.

Further information:

Ronald Kwan, SVP, Asia-Pacific Region
Mobile +86 1377 4251 388

Jani Lösönen, VP, Manufacturing, Paper
Mobile +358 50 341 7196

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