This Week’s (Feb 1–7) Special Gas Industry News Roundup
This week (December 6–12, 2024), the liquid oxygen market experienced weak fluctuations, with subdued demand and localized price declines. As of December 12, 2024, the average price of liquid oxygen in China stood at 390 yuan per ton, down 0.26% from the previous week and up 1.03% compared to the same period in 2023.
NEWS
Macro New Policies
01
China’s manufacturing PMI came in at 49.1% in January.
On the 27th, the Service Industry Survey Center of the National Bureau of Statistics and the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing released data showing that, influenced by the approaching Spring Festival holiday and the mass exodus of enterprise employees to their hometowns, the manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for January stood at 49.1%, a decrease of 1.0 percentage point from the previous month.
Both production and demand have slowed, with the production and new orders indices for large enterprises remaining above the threshold. Affected by the Spring Festival, the production index and the new orders index stood at 49.8% and 49.2%, respectively—down 2.3 and 1.8 percentage points from the previous month—indicating a moderation in manufacturing output and market demand. For large enterprises, the production and new orders indices were 51.3% and 50.6%, respectively, continuing to remain in expansionary territory; by contrast, the production and new orders indices for medium- and small-sized enterprises declined from the previous month.
The equipment manufacturing sector continued to expand, with both price indices rebounding. In January, the PMI for equipment manufacturing stood at 50.2%, down 0.4 percentage points from the previous month, but remaining above the threshold for the sixth consecutive month. The index of purchase prices for major raw materials and the index of factory-gate prices were 49.5% and 47.4%, respectively, up 1.3 and 0.7 percentage points from the previous month.
Source: Xinhua News Agency
02
The CPC Central Committee and the State Council have issued the “Plan for the All-Round Revitalization of Rural Areas (2024–2027).”
On January 22, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the “Plan for the All-Round Revitalization of Rural Areas (2024–2027).” The document emphasizes intensifying product innovation and marketing targeted at rural areas, supporting the rollout of new-energy vehicles and green, smart home appliances to rural markets, thoroughly implementing initiatives to trade in old consumer goods for new ones, encouraging information consumption, and promoting consumption upgrading. It also calls for optimizing energy supply, consolidating and upgrading rural power grids, and developing clean energy.
Source: Xinhua Net
03
Bank of China Unveils Action Plan to Support the Artificial Intelligence Industry Chain, Committing No Less Than RMB 1 Trillion in Financial Support
Recently, Bank of China unveiled its “Action Plan for Supporting the Development of the Artificial Intelligence Industry Chain,” under which the bank plans to provide no less than RMB 1 trillion in dedicated, comprehensive financial support over the next five years to all entities across the AI industry chain. Of this amount, equity and debt financing combined will total at least RMB 300 billion. In addition, the bank will establish specialized institutional frameworks tailored to AI technology innovation to effectively meet the financial needs of each link in the industry chain.
Source: Bank of China
04
Huang Kunming, Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee: Deeply implement major initiatives such as “Guangdong Strengthens Its Chip Industry” and breakthroughs in core software, so that “super platforms” can deliver “super results.”
On February 5, Huang Kunming, Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, stated at the Guangdong High-Quality Development Conference that the key is to ignite the powerful engine of scientific and technological innovation. Industrial transformation is driven by technological revolutions; therefore, seizing the initiative in scientific and technological innovation means securing the decisive variable for a modern industrial system. Although the proportion of critical core technologies remains relatively low, these technologies are vital to national security and development—there are no shortcuts; the only path forward is to break through and move upward. We must strive for “high” standards by building and making effective use of national laboratories and major scientific and technological infrastructure, thoroughly implementing major initiatives such as “Guangdong Strengthens Its Chips” and the攻关 on core software, and adopting a “large-scale, coordinated campaign” approach to ensure that “super platforms” deliver “super results,” enabling us to keep pace with—and even take the lead in—strategically critical areas. Science and technology are ubiquitous, and innovation knows no bounds. We must focus on “practicality” by distilling scientific questions from industrial needs, developing more advanced, applicable new technologies, equipment, materials, and processes, and continuously improving product quality and production efficiency. The engine of science and technology must be ignited by the market. We must also intensify efforts to facilitate “transformation” by promptly introducing demand-side policies that help bridge the final gap between technology and the market, thereby overcoming the “uncertain eve” between scientific breakthroughs and industrial application. Finally, we must expand outward by deeply integrating into international production and innovation networks, enhancing our capacity for technological self-reliance and strength as well as the autonomy and controllability of our industrial chains through both competition and cooperation.
Source: Southern Daily
NEWS
Industry News
1. Demand for AI chips is staggering, driving a 19.1% surge in global chip revenue to a record high.
According to a report by the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), global semiconductor chip sales are projected to grow by 19.1% in 2024, reaching US$627.6 billion, with double-digit growth expected in 2025.
SIA reports that 2024 set a new record, with total spending reaching $526.8 billion in 2023. In an interview with GamesBeat, John Neuffer, CEO of the semiconductor industry trade group SIA, attributed this surge to the extraordinary demand for AI processors and memory.
Greg LaRocca, Director of Market Research and Economic Policy at SIA, said in an interview that chip sales are expected to grow by 11.2% by 2025. This is significant for the economy, as chips are the core component of all electronic products and a vital link in the technology supply chain.
Source: Semiconductor Industry Watch
2. TSMC to Build a 1nm-Process Fab
TSMC recently announced plans to build a state-of-the-art 1-nanometer fab in Tainan, Taiwan, equipped with the most advanced process technology at the 1nm node. Located in the Shalun area in southern Tainan, the facility is expected to become a large-scale wafer manufacturing hub.
According to reports, the newly constructed Fab 25 will focus on producing 12-inch wafers and is designed to accommodate six production lines. TSMC has submitted the relevant plans to the Southern Science Park Administration and disclosed the preliminary line configuration. It is expected that Fab 25’s P1 to P3 lines will be equipped with 1.4-nanometer process technology, while P4 to P6 lines will feature the more advanced 1-nanometer process technology.
Source: Zhongguancun Online
NEWS
Company News
1. Heyuan Gases: Obtains Invention Patent for the Preparation of Ultra-High-Purity Hydrogen Chloride Gas for Semiconductor Applications
HeYuan Gas announced that the company recently obtained an invention patent entitled “A Preparation Device and Process for Ultra-High-Purity Hydrogen Chloride Gas for Semiconductor Applications.” This patent employs a combination of polymeric permeation membranes, metal cation-exchange resins, dehydration using rare-earth metal compounds, and high-pressure distillation to reduce CO2 impurities in the product to below 0.1 ppm and metal ion content to below 10 ppt. While the acquisition of this patent is not expected to have a material impact on the company’s production, operations, or financial performance, it will strengthen the company’s technological reserves and capabilities in the field of electronic specialty gases, thereby providing technical support for its further development in this area.
Source: Heyuan Gas
2. Sinochem Blue Sky: 1,000-Ton-Per-Year Perfluoroalkene Project Comes Online
According to an official WeChat post by Sinochem Lantian: “Sinochem Lantian has kicked off the Year of the Snake with a strong start, as its 1,000-ton-per-year perfluoroalkene project in Chenzhou has entered operation, which is expected to help accelerate the move toward self-reliance and controllability in China’s electronic materials supply chain.” The post further states: “With the commissioning of the 1,000-ton facility, Sinochem Lantian’s annual perfluoroalkene supply capacity has reached 1,200 tons.”
According to the Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the 1,000-ton-per-year perfluoroalkene Project of Sinochem Lantian Electronic Materials (Chenzhou) Co., Ltd., issued by the Chenzhou Municipal Ecology Bureau, the project’s primary product is hexafluorobutadiene.
According to a survey by Longzhong Information, following the commissioning of Sinochem Lantian’s hexafluorobutadiene production facility, the company will become the largest single-site producer in China, doubling the country’s total hexafluorobutadiene capacity to 2,100 tonnes per year. This development will further reshape the global supply landscape for this product, strengthen China’s independent capability in the production of high-end fluorinated electronic materials, and provide strong impetus for the high-quality development of China’s electronic information materials sector.
Source: Sinochem Lantian, Chenzhou Municipal Ecology Bureau
3. Jiangsu Hongren Specialty Gases: Public Notice for the High-Purity Specialty Electronic Gases Project
On January 24, Jiangsu Hongren Special Gases Co., Ltd. published a public notice regarding the acceptance of the environmental impact assessment documents for its high-purity specialty electronic gases project.
Upon completion of the project, the facility will achieve an annual production capacity of 116,000 tonnes of high-purity electronic liquid oxygen, 74,000 tonnes of electronic gaseous oxygen, 182,000 tonnes of high-purity electronic liquid nitrogen, 248,000 tonnes of electronic gaseous nitrogen, 8,640 tonnes of high-purity electronic liquid argon, 1,514 Nm³ of high-purity krypton, and 498 Nm³ of high-purity xenon. A portion of the electronic-grade oxygen and nitrogen produced may, in response to market demand, be diverted to the medical oxygen and food-grade nitrogen markets. In addition, the facility will have an annual filling capacity of 6,491 Nm³ of high-purity helium and 1,803 Nm³ of high-purity neon, supported by ancillary infrastructure for liquid storage and filling as well as gas filling operations.
Source of information: Nantong Economic Development Zone Ecological Environment Bureau
4. Anhui Zhanwei Gases: 5,000-ton-per-year project for silane gas, a raw material for novel nano-silicon-carbon anode materials
Recently, the silane gas project for producing raw materials for a new type of nano-silicon-carbon anode material with an annual capacity of 5,000 tonnes, undertaken by the Huaibei Direct Project Department of China National Chemical Engineering Third Construction Co., Ltd., successfully passed completion acceptance and has officially been put into operation. This marks the successful conclusion of the project, adding another significant milestone to China National Chemical Engineering Third Construction’s portfolio in the field of chemical engineering project development and injecting strong momentum into the development of the chemical industry in the Huaibei region of Anhui Province.
The Anhui Zhanwei Silane Gas Project is a major industrial undertaking of significant strategic importance. With a substantial total investment, the project aims to meet the growing market demand for silane gas and to drive the development of high-tech industries such as semiconductors and photovoltaics. The project encompasses complex production facilities, supporting infrastructure, and state-of-the-art process systems. Upon completion, it will serve as a benchmark production base in the industry, exerting a profound impact on enhancing regional industrial competitiveness and promoting high-quality economic development.
Source of information: People's Daily Online – Anhui Channel
5. Zhuhai Lihua Gases: Silane Project Commences
On February 5, 2025, the Zhuhai Economic and Technological Development Zone (hereinafter referred to as “Zhuhai ETDC”) held a centralized groundbreaking ceremony for key projects in the first quarter of 2025 in the Petrochemical Industrial Zone.
Notably, the Lihua Silane Electronic Specialty Gases project boasts a total investment of RMB 1.1 billion and will establish a 10,000-ton-per-year electronic materials production line in the Economic Development Zone. Upon commissioning, the project is expected to generate annual output value of RMB 2.2 billion, thereby filling the provincial gap in the production capacity of electronic-grade silane. Meanwhile, the Zhichengyuan Technology Chip Materials project has long been dedicated to advanced packaging for semiconductor chips, substrate boards, and surface treatment technologies for functional wet electronic materials, with the aim of bridging the domestic supply gap in high-end plating technologies—a critical link in the industry chain. Once completed, the Zhuhai New-Generation Productivity Cultivation Base for Electronic Chemicals will serve as the nation’s first high-end electronic chemicals industrial platform, accelerating the R&D and industrialization of next-generation electronic chemical products.
Source of information: Southern Metropolis Daily
6. Jinhong Gases: Holds Signing Ceremony for Equity Cooperation on CHEM-GAS
On February 7, JinHong Gases successfully held the signing ceremony for its equity partnership with CHEM-GAS. Tan Fuhua, Chairman of the CHEM-GAS Board of Directors, and Jin Xianghua, Chairman and General Manager of JinHong Gases, attended the event together with their respective management teams, celebrating this historic milestone and jointly ushering in a new chapter in global expansion.
This acquisition will enable the company to expand into the Southeast Asian market, leveraging the region’s economic dynamism and market potential to drive rapid business growth and diversify its footprint. At the same time, by integrating CHEM-GAS’s physical assets with JinHong Gas’s global capital management capabilities, the company will establish a dual-engine growth model—“real-sector operations plus global capital deployment”—to optimize resource allocation, enhance operational efficiency, and strengthen competitiveness. This move represents not only an expansion in scale but also a significant milestone in the company’s strategic transformation and upgrade, marking its entry into a new phase of global development.
Source: JinHong Gases
NEWS
Forward-looking research
Beijing North Huachuang Microelectronics Equipment Co., Ltd.: Obtains Patent for Semiconductor Process Equipment
According to information from the China National Intellectual Property Administration, Beijing Northern Huacheng Microelectronics Equipment Co., Ltd. has been granted a patent entitled “Semiconductor Process Equipment,” with authorization announcement number CN 222349122 U and an application date of February 2024.
The patent abstract discloses a semiconductor processing apparatus comprising a chamber, an air-distribution unit, a rotary motor, a transmission assembly, and multiple lifting assemblies. The lifting assemblies are arranged at circumferential intervals around the chamber, with each lifting assembly connected to the air-distribution unit and operatively linked via the transmission assembly to the rotary motor, such that the rotary motor drives the lifting assemblies through the transmission assembly to cause the air-distribution unit to move vertically relative to the chamber. This semiconductor processing apparatus addresses the issue in existing equipment whereby the air-distribution unit tends to tilt during its vertical movement, thereby adversely affecting the normal execution of the process.
Source: China National Intellectual Property Administration
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