Chinese firm to put up $300-M glass production plant in Subic

China’s Hebei Jingniu Crystal Bull Group Company, Ltd. has decided to finally go ahead with a $300-million investment for a glass production plant in Subic.

This was announced yesterday by Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) administrator and chief executive officer Armand Arreza before he left for China to finalize the contract with officials of the Hebei Jingniu Group.

According to Arreza, the planned $300-million investment by the Hebei Jingniu Group would result in the creation of about 6,000 new jobs in the Subic freeport.

The Chinese glass manufacturing plant is supposed to be the biggest single investment of China in the Philippines.

The Hebei Jingniu Group had initially approached former Trade and Industry Secretary Cesar V. Purisima about the project in 2003.

Back in 2003, the Chinese group estimated the cost of the plant at $312 million.

Jingniu was eyeing the Philippines because of the skilled Filipino workers and as a base for its exports to the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) and Japan.

Jingniu wanted a 100 to 130 hectare industrial park.

Unfortunately, the available space in Subic was only 50 hectares and the original location was divided by a river.

The government tried offering Jingniu an alternative location at the Bataan Export Processing Zone (BEPZ).

This time around Subic has indentified three alternative sites, one in Maritan Hills, an adjacent lot in Maritan Hills that is separated by the Binictican River and the Tipo area.

Jingniu’s plan was to put up two online float coated glass lines; two high tech rolling crystallite glass line; one glass deep processing line and one crystallite glass deep processing line.

It also plans to set up one power generating plant with a capacity of 30,000 KVA (kilo volt ampere) and one plastic yacht line which is currently not produced in the Philippines.

The Philippines had also wanted Jingniu to manufacture tempered automotive glass since it is no longer being manufactured by Asahi Glass Philippines.

Jingniu’s main products include a variety of float sheet glass, online solar control reflective glass, high tech rolling crystallite glass with all kinds of color and specifications.

Its products are exported to more than 70 countries in Europe, Asia, America and Africa.

Jingniu has manufacturing and trading companies in Zimbabwe and Kenya.