Dawn Polymer Plans EPDM Rubber Expansion in China

Shandong Dawn Polymer Materials Co. is investing RMB500 million (€64 million) to expand EPDM rubber production through a 25 kilotonne per annum project at its majority-owned subsidiary Ningbo SK Synthetic Rubber Co. The investment aims to strengthen competitiveness and ease domestic shortages of high-end grades. The project, approved by Dawn’s board on 9 June, will be developed over a two-year construction period and is expected to address shortcomings in the local supply, ensuring supply chain security for the new energy and advanced manufacturing sectors. EPDM is described as an extremely important raw material for the rubber products industry, with features such as excellent weather resistance, ozone resistance, electrical insulation, low compression permanent deformation, high strength, and high elongation. The material is widely applied in automotive sealing strips, with demand increasing alongside the rapid growth of China’s automotive market. Ningbo SK has more than 10 years of successful experience operating EPDM facilities and plans to use reserved land at its existing plant to add capacity. The expansion is driven by growth in electric vehicles, battery sealing applications, and renewable energy, with supportive government policies and technological advances creating a high-certainty opportunity for expansion.