Aerospace material maker Cytec Engineered Materials inaugurated a US$40 million plant in Shanghai's Fengxian District Thursday as it seeks potential opportunities in China's jumbo jet project.

The 11,500 square meter plant will mainly produce a composite material, prepreg, used in making reinforced plastics, for aircraft and serve clients in the Asia-Pacific region.

"Cytec has cooperated with Chinese aircraft makers such as AVIC Xi'an Aircraft Industry (Group) Co Ltd and Harbin Aircraft Industry Group, and its products have been used in the country's first homemade regional jet, the ARJ21," said William Wood, vice president of the United States-based firm, at the opening ceremony yesterday.

The plant now mainly serves Boeing and it is looking forward to cooperating with China's 150-seat jumbo jet maker.

"It's an excellent chance for Cytec to expand business in China as the country is developing a string of aircraft, including jumbo jets, the Xinzhou700 and civil helicopters," said Rong Yichao, a senior official working at AVIC Technology Foundation Establishment.

"Significant amounts of composite materials are used in the Airbus A380, A350 and Boeing 787 jets, and they will also be used in China's homemade jumbo jet," Rong said.

Cytec set up its first plant in China in 1997, also in Shanghai, which makes coating resins for aircraft.

China will invest 200 billion yuan (US$29 billion) into a program to develop its jumbo jet.

(Shanghai Daily May 22, 2009)