Recent expansion announcements by the world chemical leaders have a definite bent towards Asia, and China in particular. And rising energy prices have prompted DuPont to create a joint venture that will replace petrochemicals with corn.
      Bayer plans to boost its investment in China with a US$100 million plant to produce HDI, a coating raw material. This brings to $3.1 billion Bayer's planned investment for the integrated production site at Caojing, near Shanghai. Of this total, Bayer is spending $1.8 million on new facilities for polymer production.
      "China is already one of our most important markets," said Werner Wenning, Bayer management board chairman, during signing ceremonies in May 2004. "China's importance for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry will increase further in coming years."

Celanese's John O'Dwyer conducts the official groundbreaking at the site of the company's acetic acid plant in Nanjing with the former Nanjing City Mayor Luo Zhijun, currently party secretary of Nanjing Municipal Government.

      Ohio-based Borden Chemicals is going the JV route in China. It is forming two joint ventures to produce formaldehyde, resins and UV-curable materials. Borden is also opening a regional headquarters in Shanghai.
      Celanese AG recently signed major supply agreements for its planned 600,000-metric-ton acetic acid plant in the Nanjing Chemical Industry park in Nanjing City in eastern China. Celanese plans to begin operations in 2006. (For more on Nanjing, see our cover story, p. 472.)
      In a move to mitigate pressure from rising oil costs, DuPont is pairing up with British sugar group Tate & Lyle PLC to manufacture a textile chemical from corn instead of petroleum. The new company, DuPont Tate & Lyle BioProducts, is a 50-50 venture and will base in Wilmington, Del., home of DuPont. The venture plans to build its initial commercial plant in Loudon, Tenn., adjacent to an existing Tate & Lyle facility.