Saint-Gobain announces the inauguration of a new plaster and plasterboard factory in Yuzhou, Henan province, China, to set foot on the markets of central and northwestern China. This is the sixth gypsum site of the Group in the country.
This new site will produce high-quality paper-faced plasterboards and gypsum powders to respond to the strong demand of the local construction market. With an annual capacity of 37 million sqms of plasterboard and 150,000 tons of plaster, this new investment will apply the best available techniques in term of industrial performance, sustainability and circularity.
The solutions produced in the new Yuzhou site fully illustrate Saint-Gobain vision to lead in light and sustainable construction. The site will hardly use any virgin raw material as it will valorize over 400 000 tons per year of nearby industrial by-products to be transformed in light board and plaster solutions, with very low embedded carbon; by substituting traditional construction methods, it will save more than 250 000 tons of CO2 per year in Central China. The production process will also be exemplary in terms of sustainability, using 100% green electricity and implementing several low-carbon initiatives such as the installation of solar photovoltaic panels and the use of electric-powered forklift. 100% of its gypsum waste generated in the production process will be recycled.
Santhanam.B,CEO of Saint-Gobain India and Asia Pacific Region (right), Ludovic Weber,CEO of Saint-Gobain Asia Pacific Region (left)
Paul Sheng, CEO of Saint-Gobain China
To go further green, the construction of this new site was supported by a green financing loan, implemented with BNP Paribas to reinforce the achievement of its green objectives. This was the first green financing loan of its kind in China’s construction materials industry.
With this new plant, Saint-Gobain is accelerating its strategy aiming at developing in the Chinese market the most advanced and sustainable solutions both for the professionals of the Chinese construction industry and for the Chinese end users. Yuzhou new factory is fully in line with Saint-Gobain’s “Grow & Impact” strategy, a key milestone in China to become the worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction.
Saint-Gobain is present in China since 1985 and employs more than 8,000 people. With over 50 factories now, the Group has a complete range of solutions and systems for the construction market and industrial applications: plasterboards, plasters, mineral wool, mortars, building glazing, prefabricated modules, automotive glass, abrasives, adhesives, ceramics and high-performance plastics.
