SGD Pharma has invested more than €20 million to upgrade its Zhanjiang plant in China. The refurbishment involves a complete rebuild of its furnace and comprehensive improvement of the plant’s facilities.

Using the most advanced design and technologies, this new furnace allows the Zhanjiang plant to increase capacity, improve energy performance and minimise energy consumption, reducing the Group’s carbon footprint in line with its environmental commitments and long-term decarbonisation roadmap. SGD Pharma’s objective is to reduce CO2 emissions from 2020 by 35% in 2030 and by 65% in 2040.

Chunyan Zheng, Deputy General Manager at SGD Pharma Zhanjiang plant, said: “This significant investment allows us to improve the operational excellence of Zhanjiang plant making sure that we manufacture the best in quality to serve our customers worldwide. We are delighted with the improvements to our plant and are excited about the new features that we can now provide our customers, for example feeder coloration.”  

Frédéric Barbier, General Manager of SGD Pharma BU APAC, adds: “SGD Pharma has been working with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) on the reduction of CO2 emissions and has developed a 1.5°C decarbonisation pathway and target validation. Zhanjiang plant is a critical part of this ambitious decarbonisation plan. It is fantastic to see our new furnace working in a way that helps us to not only increase productivity but also minimise environmental impact. This €20 million renovation project illustrates our sustained investment strategy, and ongoing commitment towards a more sustainable future.”

Alongside the furnace rebuild, production lines and inspection equipment at the plant have been upgraded to improve glass quality and production flexibility. The plant now offers feeder coloration and a range of coloured glass options to meet specific requirements, mainly for luxury beauty products.