Messer promotes the enhancement of Dongguan's manufacturing industry

[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The world-class single liquefaction air separation plant in Shatian town, Dongguan of Guangdong province, started trial production in April 2023. The plant was invested by Messer Group, one of the world's largest industrial gases suppliers. 

German industrial gas giant Messer Group was established in 1898. The Group came to China in 1994 and established a presence in Guangdong province two years later. Currently, it has set up production bases and research and development centers in Foshan's Chancheng , Shunde and Sanshui districts as well as in Dongguan and Yangjiang.

Messer Group's five plants in Guangdong, which now provide high-quality oxygen, nitrogen, argon, helium, neon, krypton, xenon, hydrogen, standard gases, electronics and medical gases to various regions in China, are dedicated to offering the most competitive gas solutions to promote innovation and the development of high-end manufacturing in the Greater Bay Area.

Dongguan Deli Messer Gas Co, located in Lisha Island Fine Chemical Industrial Park in Shatian, was established in 2018. It is in the middle of a science and technology innovation corridor between Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Dongguan.

Since China's reform and opening up, Dongguan has being a hot destination for foreign investments. A vivid example of open China, Dongguan has established economic and trade ties with over 200 countries and regions, attracting more than 12,000 foreign enterprises. And this is the exact reason why Messer chose to invest in the city.

In 2018, after several rounds of inspection, Messer Group decided to set up Dongguan Messer in Lisha Island. In May 2020, the group launched a world-class single liquefaction air separation project in Shatian.

Messer's decision to invest in Dongguan is closely linked to Dongguan's policies of stabilizing foreign trade and investment. According to Hu Ting, general manager of Dongguan Messer, apart from Dongguan's unique location advantages, the local government has introduced various supportive policies to promote the growth of foreign-invested enterprises, such as "Ten Measures for Foreign Investment".

Industrial gas, known as the "blood" of the industry, plays a decisive role in the development and advancement of high-end manufacturing. One of the distinctive features of industrial gases is on-site production and sale, and to serve as a fundamental public facility for neighboring customers.

The number of industrial market entities in Dongguan has doubled over the past decade. Meanwhile, the city has taken vigorous measures to adjust its economic structure by changing its extensive production model and transforming from labor-intensive to technology-intensive model. 

"Dongguan's processing and manufacturing industry needs to be upgraded into a high-tech one, and industrial gases form an indispensable part. For example, the developing electronic information technology industry and high-end medical industry require a huge amount of our products," Hu said.

Hu noted among all the projects invested by Messer Group globally, Dongguan Messer has the most advanced equipment -- with daily production of a single equipment reaching 1,200 metric tons, and the production capacity being the largest among similar equipment worldwide.

Dongguan Messer is a major case among existing industries which showcases Dongguan's strong power to attract foreign investments. Bai Ming, deputy director of the International Market Research Institute of the Research Institute of the Ministry of Commerce, emphasized that Dongguan Messer's program, which helps consolidate Dongguan's advantages in the industrial chain, effectively improve its industrial development and enhance its industrial competitiveness, is a leap forward.

"Dongguan has huge potential and we still think investing here is the right decision," said Hu. "Based on our cooperation model, Messer and Dongguan bring out the best of each other. We hope that we could grow and embrace a brighter future together."