Recently, Wanhua Chemical Group Nutrition Technology Co., Ltd. has successfully launched its full industrial chain for Vitamin A (VA) production. This breakthrough not only breaks the international technological monopoly but also sets a benchmark for high-quality development in Yantai’s Huang-Bohai New Area with its green and low-carbon practices.
VA is an essential fat-soluble vitamin with an irreplaceable role in the human body. At the same time, VA is also a key component in animal feed additives, significantly enhancing breeding efficiency and improving animal health indicators. Data shows that 60% of the global VA production capacity has long been controlled by foreign enterprises. Therefore, the launch of Wanhua Chemical’s VA project holds great significance in breaking this status quo.
“The full industrial chain integration of VA is a complex systemic project, with breakthroughs in core technology being the key,” said a Wanhua Chemical representative. “Starting with isobutylene, VA production goes through several critical steps, including citral synthesis and VA synthesis, ultimately forming a complete industrial chain. We have overcome more than 60 key patent technologies, such as green catalytic processes, significantly reducing China’s dependence on imported VA raw materials.”
From an ecological perspective, sustainability is embedded throughout the project. In the digitalized workshop, IoT sensors continuously monitor parameters like temperature and pH levels, while an AI control system optimizes production scheduling through algorithms. “With the project’s launch, energy consumption per unit of VA product has decreased by 20%, wastewater emissions have been reduced by 30%, and carbon emission intensity has significantly dropped,” the Wanhua Chemical representative added.
According to the Chinese Nutrition Society, the VA market has long been monopolized by overseas giants, with prices fluctuating due to production, transportation, and other factors, severely impacting the feed and livestock industries. With the launch of Wanhua Chemical’s VA project, localized production ensures a stable market supply, creating a comprehensive health protection system spanning from production to consumption, directly benefiting the livestock industry and consumers.
“In the past, farmers had to pay high prices for imported VA, leading to increased feed costs. Now, with a domestic alternative, feed manufacturers have a stable and reliable raw material source,” said an official from the Huang-Bohai New Area Agriculture and Marine Fisheries Bureau. “More importantly, we have broken the foreign technology monopoly, achieving a leap from ‘feed processing’ to ‘core raw material production,’ which will directly enhance the efficiency and quality of the livestock industry.”
The successful integration of Wanhua Chemical’s VA project is just a glimpse of the region’s broader green and low-carbon development. Currently, Huang-Bohai New Area is actively leveraging innovation to lead advancements in enterprise technology and project construction. By coordinating efforts in carbon reduction, pollution control, ecological expansion, and economic growth, the region is injecting strong momentum into the city’s green and low-carbon high-quality development.
