Summary: Zhongnong Ruihua has planned to build new capacity for acetamiprid TC, clethodim TC, acrylaldehyde, 2-methylene-4-cyanobutyraldehyde, CCMP and pesticide formulations in Yumendong Building Materials Chemical Industrial Park in Jiuquan City, Gansu Province.

In late Aug., 2022, Zhongnong Ruihua (Gansu) Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Zhongnong Ruihua) revealed that the company would build Phase I program of the "pesticide & pharmaceutical intermediates, pesticide technical and formulations" project in Yumendong Building Materials Chemical Industrial Park, Yumen City, Jiuquan City, Gansu Province. The company will invest USD29.06 million (RMB200 million) in the first phase, which will mainly be used for construction of new production workshops & supporting facilities, and the purchase of production equipment. Phase I program will build capacity of 2,000 t/a acetamiprid TC, 4,000 t/a clethodim TC, 8,000 t/a acrylaldehyde, 3,000 t/a 2-methylene-4-cyanobutyraldehyde, 3,000 t/a of 2-chloro-5-chloromethylpyridine (CCMP), and 10,000 t/a pesticide formulation products.

These proposed products are closely connected—acrylaldehyde is a key raw material for the synthesis of 2-methylene-4-cyanobutyraldehyde, and the latter is a precursor in the production of CCMP, a key intermediate for acetamiprid production. Once the project put into full operation, Zhongnong Ruihua will not only have large-scale supply capability of acetamiprid TC, but also has an advantage in industrial chain integration.

Acetamiprid is one of the first-generation nicotinoid insecticides, and a mainstream product in the market. So far, many Chinese pesticide producers have brought into operation their large-scale acetamiprid TC production lines, these manufacturers including Shandong Hailir Chemicals Co., Ltd. (Shandong Hailir), Shandong United Pesticide Industry Co., Ltd., Jiangsu Changqing Agrochemical Co., Ltd., Ningxia Ruitai Technology Co., Ltd., Ningbo Sunjoy Agroscience Co., Ltd., Lanzhou Chemspec-Weier Chemical Co., Ltd., Hebei Yetian Agrochemicals Co., Ltd. and Wuzhong Linghan Biological & Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

It is worth mentioning that an accident causing two deaths took place in Shandong Hailir's production plant in Lingang Industrial Park, Weifang City, Shandong Province on 14 Aug., 2022, which pushed the company to suspend production temporarily for further safety inspections. The plant accommodates 1,200 t/a of acetamiprid TC and 2,500 t/a CCMP production lines, along with lines for imidacloprid TC, pyraclostrobin TC, clothianidin TC, thiamethoxam TC and prothioconazole TC.