At 16:16 on May 17, as the start-up order was issued, the monomer synthesis unit used in the Phoenix Project of Elkem Xinghuo Silicones was successfully started up and operated normally with all production indicators, making it compliant with the design requirements. The successful output of high-quality products that meet the superior grade standards on May 18 marks the one-off successful start-up of the complete unit of the Project. Elkem Xinghuo Silicones has moved to a new stage of operation, and taken a new step forward in developing national industries and firmly promoting high-quality development through reliance on independent innovation.

The Phoenix Project is a 200kt/a silicone monomer and ancillary facility project derived from the efforts of Elkem Xinghuo Silicones to upgrade the capacity of and replace existing production lines in response to future industry development trends and market demands at home and abroad. As a widely used material, silicone is an additive in many products vital to people’s livelihood, and also a key field supported by the state. The high-quality intermediates produced from this Project enable the development of downstream products, and the new products have filled the technology gaps in China.

Having overcome a series of difficulties such as the sweeping COVID-19 pandemic, complex construction and production technologies, and coordinated operation with units under construction and in service, this Project gives a full expression to the practices of the project team to rise to challenges and embrace responsibilities, and strive for excellence through hard work.

After the Project is put into operation, Elkem Xinghuo Silicones will deliver a total output of 700kt silicone monomer, and 300kt downstream and specialty products annually. Elkem Xinghuo Silicones adopts its own innovative technology for the production of this Project, which features low energy consumption, high purity, high conversion rate and low emissions. Having reached an international advanced level in terms of HSE (occupational health, safety management, environmental management) performance and product quality, this Project manufactures EU standards-compliant products and facilitates the overall improvement in the intrinsic safety and operating efficiency of many existing devices. Furthermore, it provides raw materials of better quality at a lower cost for downstream products, thus laying a solid foundation for the innovation-driven strategy of deepening the specialization of the silicone business.

Li Bo, Chairman, Party Secretary and President of Bluestar required that Elkem Xinghuo Silicones should continue to optimize production processes and strengthen quality management based on this opportunity as a new starting point to ensure that projects can be started up successfully, operate stably, and create benefits. Always bearing in mind the important instructions given by Li Fanrong, Chairman of the Board and Secretary of the Leading Party Group of Sinochem Holdings, “It is hoped that Elkem Silicones will become an influencing driver for Sinochem to build a worldclass comprehensive chemical enterprise”, Elkem Xinghuo Silicones will continue to follow the innovation-driven development strategy, step up the efforts to strengthen, complement and extend the silicones industry chain, and concentrate on the extension and specialization of the silicones product chain, especially the further expansion in high value-added emerging fields such as new energy, transport systems and intelligent buildings, in an endeavor to achieve high-level self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology. Doing so will provide stronger support for Bluestar’s fulfillment of its responsibilities as the chain leader of the silicones industry, accelerated development of new quality productive forces, and solid steps to promote the high-quality development of Sinochem Holdings’ silicones industry chain.?

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