China has become the world's largest consumer of acrylic acid and its esters. In the past, the gap between domestic supply and demand was significant. However, with the commissioning of new projects in recent years, the country’s reliance on imports has gradually declined. Over the next few years, China is expected to experience a peak period for the construction of acrylic acid and ester facilities, with continued expansion of the industry.
Acrylic acid is primarily used in the production of acrylic esters, which account for approximately 80% of total acrylic acid consumption. China leads the world in the fastest-growing acrylate consumption. In 2006, acrylate output reached 611,000 tons, while consumption hit 840,000 tons, representing about 23% of global consumption. The market size exceeded 5.4 billion yuan. Despite rapid development, the domestic acrylic acid industry still struggles to meet rising demand. From 1996 to 2001, the self-sufficiency rate fell from 80% to 44%, while import dependency rose from 20% to 56%.
As prices for acrylic acid and esters continue to rise, Chinese companies are accelerating the construction of new production facilities. For example, Formosa Plastics (Ningbo) Co., Ltd. launched a 160,000-ton/year acrylic acid plant and a 230,000-ton/year acrylate facility in October 2006. Mitsubishi Chemical transferred its technology to Shenyang Paraffin Chemical, leading to the completion of an 80,000-ton/year acrylic acid and 130,000-ton/year acrylate unit by late October 2006. By the end of 2006, China's acrylic acid capacity reached 720,000 tons/year, and acrylate capacity reached 780,000 tons/year. These new projects helped reduce import dependency, which dropped from 42.3% in 2002 to 9.6% in 2006.
Driven by strong demand from sectors such as construction, textiles, packaging, and sanitary materials, China’s acrylate market is expected to grow rapidly. Domestic demand is projected to reach 1.16 million tons in 2010, accounting for around 31.4% of global consumption. By 2015, annual demand is expected to reach 1.7 million tons, making China a major acrylate consumer. To meet this growing demand, several large-scale projects are under construction or planned.
The Sinochem Group started an acrylic acid and ester project in Guangrao County, Shandong, in mid-July 2006, with a design capacity of 80,000 tons/year of acrylic acid and 120,000 tons/year of acrylates. Singapore Sun Vic Chemical expanded its acrylic acid and ester plant in Xiangshui, Jiangsu, with plans to complete the expansion by the end of 2006, increasing production to 205,000 tons/year and 250,000 tons/year, respectively. BASF also announced a polyacrylate polymer plant in Shanghai, set to begin operations in Q1 2008. Additionally, multiple projects are planned across Hebei, Guangdong, Sichuan, and Liaoning, with capacities ranging from 80,000 to 100,000 tons/year.
Looking ahead, the next few years will be a critical period for the expansion of acrylic acid and ester facilities in China. It is expected that by 2010, acrylic acid production capacity will reach 900,000 tons/year, and acrylate capacity will reach 980,000 tons/year. Although supply and demand were balanced in 2006 due to completed projects, the continued economic growth of China is likely to drive further demand. By 2010, the supply-demand gap is expected to widen again, highlighting the long-term potential for growth in the acrylic acid and ester industry.
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