The PVDF project at Wanhua Chemical’s Sichuan facility has entered a substantive phase

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On December 2, the kick-off meeting for the process package and design of Wanhua Chemical (Sichuan)’s PVDF project (emulsion method) was successfully held at HuiZhi Technology’s headquarters in Qingdao. The successful holding of this meeting marks the official entry of the project into a critical phase of substantive progress, laying a solid foundation for further design development, construction work, and the efficient execution of the entire process. The key team members of both companies, including the overall project leaders from Wanhua Chemical and HuiZhi Technology as well as the heads of various specialized teams, attended the meeting. During the meeting, the two parties conducted in-depth discussions from multiple perspectives on the technical challenges of the PVDF project (emulsion method), the key aspects of process optimization, and the core design standards. High levels of consensus were reached on various topics, including the precise calibration of process parameters and the compliance requirements in engineering design, as well as the timing planning for critical stages and the mechanisms for cross-disciplinary collaboration; specific implementation plans were also established. This communication approach that covers all specialties and integrates the entire process not only lays a solid foundation for efficient collaboration between the two parties, but also provides strong support for avoiding potential risks and ensuring the quality of project progress. Wanhua Chemical’s emulsion-based PVDF project established in Sichuan is a strategic move by the company to expand into the field of new energy materials, leveraging its strong integrated advantages in the chlor-alkali and fluorine chemical industries. Upon completion, the project will significantly enhance the domestic supply capacity for high-end PVDF and reduce reliance on imported products. It is reported that the total investment for this project is estimated to be around 1.3 billion yuan. The project will be located in the Meishan High-Tech Industrial Park (West Area), specifically within the Meishan High-Tech Chemical Park. Land from Wanhua Chemical (Sichuan) Co., Ltd. will be leased, and the project will make use of some of the company’s auxiliary facilities to build a PVDF production facility with an annual capacity of 20,000 tons, an R152a production facility with an annual capacity of 30,000 tons, an R142b production facility with an annual capacity of 40,000 tons, as well as other necessary auxiliary facilities. The project is constructed in two phases; Phase 1 has an annual production capacity of 10,000 tons of PVDF products, and Phase 2 also has an annual production capacity of 10,000 tons of PVDF products. Previous news reports stated that on May 16, the primary power supply was successfully established for the PVDF substation in the PVDF integrated project of Sichuan Wanlu Industrial Co., Ltd., a project undertaken by the Ningbo branch of China National Chemical Engineering Corporation Sixth Construction Co., Ltd. This achievement laid a solid foundation for powering the PVDF facility, and it also provided a favorable basis for powering the cabinet rooms, calibrating the instruments, and carrying out subsequent individual tests of the equipment. It is reported that the environmental impact assessment documents for this project (an integrated PVDF production facility with an annual output of 20,000 tons) were approved by the Meishan Municipal People’s Government on November 29, 2023. The project is located in the Meishan High-Tech Industrial Park (West Area), specifically within the Meishan High-Tech Chemical Park. The total estimated investment for the project is around 1.3 billion yuan, of which approximately 38.6 million yuan is allocated to environmental protection measures. By utilizing some of the auxiliary facilities of Wanhua Chemical (Sichuan) Co., Ltd., a 20,000-ton/year PVDF plant, a 30,000-ton/year R152a plant, a 40,000-ton/year R142b plant, along with other related auxiliary facilities, will be constructed. The project is constructed in two phases; Phase 1 has an annual production capacity of 10,000 tons of PVDF products, and Phase 2 also has an annual production capacity of 10,000 tons of PVDF products. Sichuan Wanlu Industrial Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary of Wanhua Chemical Group Co., Ltd., with Wanhua Chemical Group Battery Technology Co., Ltd. as its direct investor. Therefore, the products produced by this 20,000-ton PVDF project are likely PVDF of the binder grade for lithium batteries.