Changhua Chemical breaks ground on first production plant for polyols from Renewable Carbon

Located in Lianyungang, the state-of-the-art, world scale facility will produce Carnol^™, a new line of polycarbonate ether (PCE) polyols with 20–30 % fewer greenhouse gases compared to standard chemistries.

The technology for Carnol is based on a proprietary process and catalyst from Econic Technologies (Macclesfield, UK), which replaces fossil feedstocks with captured CO₂. Changhua’s new site is expected to produce annual commercial volumes of about 80,000 tonnes in early 2025 and will scale to over 1 million tonnes in the coming years.

Carnol polyols can be used to manufacture polyurethane foams, coatings, and elastomers with improved environmental and performance claims. They reduce carbon footprint and enable circular design by keeping CO₂ out of the atmosphere and inside products like furniture and mattresses, automotive parts, apparel and footwear, and construction materials. Notably, adding captured carbon at the molecular level also lets formulators finetune and enhance performance characteristics such as the comfort of mattress foams, the durability of coatings, and tensile strength in a variety of applications.

Carnol polyols are compatible with emerging recycling technologies and can be used in combination with recycled and bio-based polyols to achieve even greater reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

“The chemical sector in China has an important role to play in supporting national and global sustainability goals. At Changhua Chemical, we are proud to be taking a leading position by introducing new sustainable polyols. Carnol polyols will help manufacturers across a range of industries bring new solutions to market that have fewer greenhouse gases and less waste”, said Gu, Chairman and Owner of Changhua Group.

“Addressing climate change is one of the defining issues of our era. Changhua Chemical shows true leadership by investing in new technologies that will help society succeed in reducing carbon emissions and creating more sustainable solutions for generations to come”, said Keith Wiggins, CEO of Econic Technologies. AT

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