Celanese to Build World Class Liquid Crystal Polymer Plant in China

Tue, January 12 2021

Expansion supports high-value customer applications in 5G, IoT and electrification

DALLAS & SHANGHAI--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Celanese Corporation (NYSE: CE), a global chemical and specialty materials company, today announced its intent to build a world-scale, multi-phase Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) polymerization plant in China to support the significant growth in its high-value Vectra® and Zenite® LCP product lines. Site selection is underway, and Celanese is considering both existing and greenfield locations to place its new LCP facility.

“5G, ‘Internet of Things’ and vehicle electrification are just a few of the macrotrends driving demand for materials that support device miniaturization, improved signal integrity and circuit densification,” said Stefan Kutta, Vice President, Engineered Materials for Celanese. “LCP is uniquely qualified to solve these challenging requirements, and this investment will support a reliable supply of LCP to a growing customer base and enable Celanese to capture additional growth in these exciting end-uses.”

The total scope of the investment is intended to support approximately 20 kilotons of LCP production per year with the first phase of the project expected to come on-line in 2024. The addition of LCP polymerization capacity in China will make Celanese the only LCP producer with assets in both Asia and the Western Hemisphere, giving the company the unique ability to work closely with customers in multiple regions. Celanese currently has LCP polymerization capability in Shelby, North Carolina, and LCP compounding in North America, Europe and China.

“China continues to be a quickly growing manufacturing base for many global electronics and automotive customers and is home to more than 50 percent of current global demand for LCP. This investment will allow Celanese to continue innovating with our customers in this key geography and meet the rapidly growing demands for our LCP products,” concluded Kutta.

Vectra^® and Zenite^® LCP is a family of halogen-free, high-performance polymers that provide high-temperature performance in eco-friendly, thin-wall applications with exceptionally precise and stable dimensions. For more information about Celanese LCP products, visit: https://www.celanese.com/en/engineered-materials/products/vectra-lcpzenite-lcp.

About Celanese

Celanese Corporation is a global chemical leader in the production of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. Our businesses use the full breadth of Celanese's global chemistry, technology and commercial expertise to create value for our customers, employees, shareholders and the corporation. As we partner with our customers to solve their most critical business needs, we strive to make a positive impact on our communities and the world through The Celanese Foundation. Based in Dallas, Celanese employs approximately 7,700 employees worldwide and had 2019 net sales of $6.3 billion. For more information about Celanese Corporation and its product offerings, visit www.celanese.com or our blog at www.celaneseblog.com.

Forward-Looking Statements: This release may contain “forward-looking statements,” which include information concerning the company’s plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future revenues or performance, capital expenditures and other information that is not historical information. When used in this release, the words “outlook,” “forecast,” “estimates,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “plans,” “intends,” “believes,” and variations of such words or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and beliefs and various assumptions. There can be no assurance that the Company or its customers will realize these benefits or that these expectations will prove correct. There are a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this release. Risk factors include those that are discussed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which it is made or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances.

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Investor Relations
Brandon Ayache
+1 972 443 8509
brandon.ayache@celanese.com

Media Relations – Global
W. Travis Jacobsen
+1 972 443 3750
william.jacobsen@celanese.com

Media Relations Europe (Germany)
Petra Czugler
+49 69 45009 1206
petra.czugler@celanese.com

Source: Celanese Corporation