PPG Sinoma Jinjing Fiber Glass To Add Third Furnace

Date: 14 January 2008

PPG Industries and Sinoma Jinjing Fiber Glass Co. Ltd. announced their respective boards of directors have approved the addition of a third furnace at the PPG Sinoma Jinjing Fiber Glass Co.

Ltd. joint-venture manufacturing site in Zibo, China. The joint venture is a 50-50 arrangement for manufacturing glass-fiber reinforcement.

The investment is expected to add 60,000 metric tons of single-end roving production capacity annually. Startup of the third furnace is projected for the end of 2008 or early 2009.

“PPG is pleased to continue supporting the growth of the global composites industry with this capacity expansion in Asia,” said Victoria M. Holt, PPG senior vice president, glass and fiber glass. “Demand for single-end rovings, such as HYBON fiber glass direct-draw roving by PPG, has grown globally by double digits each of the past few years. We expect this growth to continue, especially in support of wind energy and energy infrastructure applications.”

Tan Zhongming, director of Sinoma Jinjing Fiber Glass, said, “Higher volumes of fiber glass reinforcements are needed to support customers with enough input material to satisfy market demand for manufacturing wind turbine components, as well as marine and composite pipe, in all regions. This additional furnace will enable PPG Sinoma Jinjing Fiber Glass to continue serving its customers’ growing needs.”

In related news, the Zibo facility gained ISO 9001:2000 registration last month in recognition of superior quality systems and processes. “This accomplishment underscores the disciplined quality process that has been implemented in Zibo and supports PPG’s goal of providing the qualifications necessary to best serve its customers and compete in today’s global marketplace,” Holt said.

In addition to the PPG Sinoma Jinjing Fiber Glass Co. Ltd. joint venture in Zibo, China, which serves the global thermosets market, PPG also operates two joint ventures in the region with Nan Ya Plastics Corp., serving the Asian markets for fiber glass electronic and specialty materials yarns and reinforcements. PPG and Nan Ya Plastics have operated PFG Fiber Glass Corp. in Chia Yi, Taiwan, since 1991, and PFG Fiber Glass (Kunshan) Co. Ltd. in Kunshan, China, since 2003.