China Signs First Titanium Dioxide EPC Contract Overseas: Boosting African Industry through Belt and Road Initiative

Vast and expansive, the African continent is not only home to the Sahara Desert but also to a barren desert in the titanium dioxide industry—currently without any operational titanium dioxide factories. However, on October 17th, during the Third Belt and Road International Cooperation Forum's Entrepreneur Conference in Beijing, China National Chemical Corporation's subsidiary, Donghua Engineering Science and Technology Co., Ltd., signed an EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) contract with South Africa's Nyaza (NYANZA) company for an 80,000 tons/year sulfuric acid process titanium dioxide project. This project aims to plant a "lonely tree" of titanium dioxide in the vast expanse of 30.2 million square kilometers of African land.

"This is the first titanium dioxide EPC project executed by China overseas," said Li Lixin, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Donghua Science and Technology, to reporters from China Chemical Industry News. The project includes an 80,000 tons/year titanium dioxide plant, a 300,000 tons/year sulfuric acid plant, auxiliary facilities, public works, and the front-end area. It utilizes Chinese-owned sulfuric acid process titanium dioxide technology, which meets international advanced standards, to produce high-end rutile titanium dioxide suitable for coatings, plastics, and other fields. The project will adopt Chinese standards and domestically produced equipment, following China's project management model.

Donovan, CEO of Nyaza, stated in an interview with China Chemical Industry News that once the project is completed, it will become South Africa's first modern sulfuric acid process titanium dioxide plant and the only titanium dioxide project in Africa. It will effectively meet domestic demand in South Africa and radiate throughout the African continent's market. Moreover, it holds significant importance for promoting industrial structural upgrading, employment, and revenue generation.

"South Africa possesses abundant raw materials for titanium dioxide production, accounting for approximately 22% of the global share, second only to Australia. However, Africa currently only exports minerals without processing capabilities," Donovan said. Nyaza's goal is to enable Africa to have the capacity to produce titanium dioxide and export higher value-added products. For this purpose, they have been searching for suitable partners worldwide for many years. Ultimately, they found that only China could help them achieve this goal, with advanced technology and a rich performance record. Over the past year, through inspections and exchanges with Donghua Science and Technology, they have gained a more comprehensive understanding of China's titanium dioxide production technology and the contractor's project construction capabilities.

Rob, Chief Operating Officer of Nyaza, mentioned that South Africa has been striving to promote industrialization for several years as the first African country to sign a co-building cooperation document with China under the Belt and Road Initiative. This project aligns perfectly with South Africa's policies, creating a new industrial chain and generating a significant number of local jobs. The project itself will create 850 direct employment opportunities, and when considering indirect employment, the number of beneficiaries will increase fivefold. During the construction period over the next 3 to 4 years, the project will also employ 2,500 to 3,000 people.

"We are grateful to the Belt and Road Initiative for making our dreams come true," Rob enthusiastically extended an invitation to the reporters. "Once the project is completed, you are welcome to come and see."