Lagos — China is poised to significantly expand its acrylonitrile production capacity by 2030, backed by strong demand from the automotive and manufacturing sectors. With over 70% of the planned capacity additions worldwide, China is positioning itself as the dominant player in the global market, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
GlobalData’s latest report, “Acrylonitrile Industry Capacity and Capital Expenditure Forecasts with Details of All Active and Planned Plants to 2030,” reveals that China is likely to witness total acrylonitrile capacity additions of 2.44 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) during 2025 to 2030 from eight planned projects.
Nivedita Roy, Oil and Gas Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Acrylonitrile is a crucial chemical precursor used in the production of various polymers and fibers, including acrylics, ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), and carbon fiber. Its applications span multiple industries, from automotive to consumer goods. Driven by the growth of these industries that heavily rely on acrylonitrile-derived products, the Chinese market is experiencing a substantial increase in demand.”
In China, the highest capacity addition is expected from the “Zhejiang Petrochemical Daishan Acrylonitrile Plant 2” with a capacity of 0.66 mtpa. Zhejiang Petrochemical Co Ltd is the designated operator of this plant, which is anticipated to commence acrylonitrile production this year.
The second highest capacity addition in the country is from “Fujian Gulei Petrochemical Company Zhangzhou Acrylonitrile Plant”. The plant is expected to begin operations in 2030 with an annual production capacity of 0.40 mtpa.
Additionally, Hengli Petrochemical, Jilin Petrochemical, Lihuayi Group, and Sinochem Quanzhou Petrochemical are planning an acrylonitrile project, each with a production capacity of 0.26 mtpa. All four plants are likely to come online this year.
