BOROUGE, a leading petrochemical company that produces innovative plastics solutions, presented a wide range of creative solutions for advanced packaging, infrastructure, mobility, energy, healthcare, and agriculture at Chinaplas 2017, Asia’s largest plastics trade fair, held in Guangzhou, China, last May 16-19.
Focusing on the benefits of its solutions for Advanced Packaging and Infrastructure, Borouge reaffirmed at the event its commitment to the industry as evidenced by its recent expansions at its world-class polyolefin complex in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi, and at its Compounding Manufacturing Plant in Shanghai.
Borouge has achieved a step-change in its innovation capabilities with the establishment of world-class research and development facilities in Shanghai, China and Abu Dhabi, UAE. This innovation focus is reflected in Borouge’s redesigned marketing approach, which drives toward greater industry partnership and serving the broader needs across the value chain. This industry-led approach has guided the development of numerous value-adding solutions such as Borouge’s diffused-light Borstar based greenhouse film solution that enables profitable and efficient greenhouse farming. It has also led to the creation of Borstar RA140E, the polypropylene water pipe system solution that delivers safe and healthy drinking water and improved system reliability.
Borouge has launched its 2021 Sustainability Goals to increase its focus on specific drivers of performance and further commitment to its long term social responsibility, environmental stewardship and economic growth. A few examples include:
• Implement a Responsible Sourcing Code of Conduct at our major suppliers to support our customers’ reputation
• Decrease Customer Complaints by more than 40%
• More than 50% of our innovation projects have a minimum Product Sustainability Index of 70%
• Increase the proportion of New Product Sales to 20%
Following the successful start-up of the Borouge 3 project in 2015, Borouge’s site in Ruwais, UAE, is now the world’s largest integrated polyolefins complex, with production capacity having more than doubled to 4.5 million tons. The first ever commercial sales of Ruwais produced LS4201R XLPE solutions have recently been completed, marking the latest milestone for the expansion phase. Used in insulation applications for medium voltage energy cable systems, LS4201R is produced with the advanced Borlink technology platform in the new XLPE facility at Ruwais and under industry-leading quality standards. Customers are expected to reap significant benefits in the form of enhanced consistency and reliability of supply.
With its advanced know-how in polymerization and compounding, together with its applications expertise, Borouge is in a strong position to help its downstream partners across numerous market sectors. Its polypropylene compounds, for example, play a vital role in helping automotive customers take weight out of their vehicles while increasing performance; the Company has developed special medical grade polymers for use in important consumer products, such as asthma inhalers and insulin pens. In the electronics and electrical appliances industries, Borouge can apply its knowledge in applications and processing technologies to enhance product design and manufacturing; for flexible and rigid packaging, Borouge has racked up numerous successes in development of lightweight and more sustainable products that fit modern lifestyles.
Wim Roels, CEO of Borouge Pte Ltd, pointed out that the growth in consumption of polyolefins in China remains at a high level of around 6% per year. By 2022, it is expected that over 70 million tonnes of polyethylenes and polypropylenes will be consumed by the local industry. “We see a clear path for the industry, but it’s about more than just scale and growth,” he said. “It’s about innovation. It’s about creating value for our customers, for our customers› customers, and for society. It’s about building the future we all want to live in.
Borouge has come to Chinaplas to show current and potential customers how it can help them attain these objectives,” said Roels. “We are also here to listen to them, so that we can tailor our innovation programs to best suit their needs. Borouge is already well positioned to engage the entire value chain of each of our target industries, to develop differentiated solutions that address the problems that matter most. But we can always improve our position, and we aim to do so. We feel this is the right strategy for Borouge.”
“Borouge is a strong supporter of the new ‘Made in China 2025’ initiative set out by the Chinese government to comprehensively upgrade industry,” said Vincent Ong, Senior Vice President, Asia North, Borouge. “The Chinese government wants manufacturing to be more innovation-driven and more efficient. It wants to put more emphasis on quality over quantity, and it is calling for more sustainable development. This is exactly in line with our own objectives at Borouge.”
“More than 15% of our sales come from products we have developed in the last five years. We create value by delivering differentiated polyolefin solutions, which we develop in close coordination with our partners. Borouge works closely with its customers to ensure their production is optimized to make the best use of their assets. We hope to meet even more potential partners during Chinaplas who can join us on our innovation journey.” — SG
