Fueling the future: Imerys’ Wuhu talc plant is successfully supporting the growth of the world’s largest EV market
China’s electric vehicle (EV) market continues to experience exponential growth, with over half the population projected to drive fully electric or hybrid vehicles by 2025. Inaugurated in October 2023, Imerys’ talc processing plant in Wuhu China is now successfully fueling the Chinese automotive market with the essential mineral solutions it needs to drive its transition towards more sustainable mobility.
Critical materials for automotive manufacturers
The Chinese electric vehicle (EV) market continues to grow rapidly, with a compound annual growth rate of around 17% expected from 2024 to 2029.
Officially launched in October 2023, Imerys’ cutting-edge talc processing facility, in Wuhu, Anhui Province is now producing Imerys’ full portfolio of talc solutions for the automotive industry. The plant, which is strategically located near the country’s auto industry hub, is playing a crucial role in serving local auto part manufacturers with the mineral solutions they need to meet the flourishing EV sector’s demand for lightweight materials.
Flagship talc solutions for plastics lightweighting and coatings
Automotive lightweighting plays a crucial role in the production of electric vehicles, where reducing vehicle weight is essential to improving efficiency and range. Lighter materials help offset the added mass of battery packs, allowing EVs to travel further on a single charge while enhancing overall performance. One solution for decreasing vehicle weight is to use modern lightweight plastic composites, such as polypropylene, instead of metal. However, these plastic parts need to be as robust as their metal counterparts.
Imerys’ new Wuhu facility leverages the company’s mineral expertise to produce Imerys’ full range of high-end, sustainable specialty talc solutions for lightweight automotive plastics. These include well-known brand names such as HAR®, Jetfine® and Steamic®, developed to improve the mechanical performance of talc-reinforced polypropylene bumpers, body panels, interior and exterior trim, as well as the ImerFlex® range for lightweight tire inner liners.
In addition to these flagship solutions for polymers compounders, the Wuhu plant is also now successfully supplying the Chinese paints and coatings industry with engineered talcs, such as its SteaShield® brand, designed to boost anti-corrosion resistance, barrier properties and stain resistance in industrial and decorative paints.
A commercial success
After a full year of commercial production, the new plant is proving to be a significant success, both in China as well as in the markets of Southeast Asia. Moreover, the site has just celebrated this first year of production without a single lost-time accident.
Our customers really appreciate having access to a local source of talc that they previously imported from Europe. They are now reaping the benefits of the proximity of a major minerals producer, in terms of shorter lead times, improved cost-effectiveness, and a more sustainable product footprint, and are also able to access technical and R&D support from Imerys’ Tech Center in Tianjin. Moreover, we have developed new talc grades that have been adapted to the requirements of local compounders in the very dynamic automotive industry. All in all, the investment is proving vital to boosting our growth in China, and throughout the Asia Pacific region.
These first 12 months of production have been marked by some major milestones. The site is now in a position to serve the region with our full range of engineered talcs for automotive plastics and the paints and coatings industry, thanks to operational support and engineering expertise from our colleagues in Europe and APAC. We are also benefiting from synergies with our calcium carbonate facility adjacent to the talc plant. More importantly still, the teams at Wuhu recorded zero lost-time accidents during their first year of production, bolstered by Imerys’ strong safety culture based on our fundamental value ‘Every Person Matters’.
Imerys is a major industrial minerals supplier in the country, employing over 1,400 people across its 11 processing facilities, laboratory and offices in Shanghai. The Wuhu talc processing plant is Imerys’ most ambitious investment project in China to date, and an integral part of Imerys’ strategy to support the automotive industry’s transition towards a low-carbon economy through sustainable mineral solutions.
Imerys will be in Guangzhou for ChinaCoat 2024
Our Paints & Coating teams will be taking part in ChinaCoat 2024, where they will be promoting our Steashield® and Jetfine® ranges for anti-corrosion, enhanced water impermeability and stain blocking.
Imerys’ ITC Tianjin marks a decade of pioneering research, global partnerships and product innovation, advancing solutions for diverse industries, from refractory to performance minerals.
Imerys has just announced the selection of two key sites in the Allier region in France for its lithium extraction and transformation project, EMILI. This move is part of an ambitious initiative to strengthen the European battery industry for electric vehicles and contribute to the energy transition.
Conductive carbon blacks are essential for clean and efficient energy solutions such as lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells. As demand for these products rises in automotive and other energy transition sectors, Imerys is continuously improving its innovation, research and production efficiency to deliver beneficial product solutions to its customers. This commitment recently led to the inauguration of the cutting-edge Carbon Black Pilot Plant at Imerys Willebroek.
A campaign of laboratory tests has made it possible to produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide using granite from the Beauvoir quarry. These encouraging results confirm Imerys’ technological capabilities and the effectiveness of the processes put in place for the EMILI project.