Today, 250 guests celebrated the official opening of the new refractories plant in Dalian, China, together with RHI Refractories. Among them were official representatives of the government and the city of Dalian, China’s leading refractories scientists, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the RHI Group, Dr. Michael Gröller, August Francois von Finck, largest shareholder of the company, as well as numerous representatives of RHI’s customers in China.
RHI Refractories Dalian Co., Ltd. is the 27th refractories production site worldwide in the RHI Group. RHI thus increases the density of its global production and service network further.
Refractories production meeting highest quality and environmental standards
In January 2003, RHI Refractories decided to establish a second Chinese production site in the Liaoning province in order to meet the constantly growing demand for high-quality refractory products in the region and to satisfy customer requirements even more efficiently in the future.
The Dalian location was chosen due to excellent logistic conditions ant the close proximity to the Chinese magnesite deposits.
In a first stage, RHI Refractories Dalian will produce 40,000 tons p.a. of burnt basic refractory bricks. These products support the industrial high-temperature processes of the cement industry, the steel industry, the non-ferrous metals industry and the glass industry.
The plant is designed in accordance with RHI’s global quality and environmental standards. 300 people will be employed here, most of them coming from the immediate Dalian region. All employees holding key positions have been trained in Europe and will be supported by qualified European staff during the start-up period of the plant.
Long-standing experience in China
Until 1995, RHI Refractories operated with local sales offices exclusively in the Chinese market. Rrefractory products were imported. In 1995, Veitsch-Radex Liaoning Co., Ltd. (today: “RHI Refractories Liaoning Co., Ltd.”) was established in Bayuquan, also in the Liaoning province, as a joint venture in cooperation with the Chinese partner Metallurgical Import & Export Liaoning Co. In 1997, a brick and mixes factory was commissioned.
In 2002, the brick factory hit its capacity limit and was subsequently extended 75,000 annual tons. Total production of refractory bricks and mixes thus rose to 100,000 tons per year.
For further information please contact:
RHI AG / Volkmar Weilguni
Phone +43 (0) 50213-6345 / volkmar.weilguni@rhi-ag.com