Axalta Coating Systems is building a new plant for waterborne coatings at Shanghai to supply China's growing automobile market.

The company said construction of the plant, one of its most advanced waterborne production facilities, in Shanghai reflects the key role China plays in its global strategy, which is focused on providing sustainable coating products and application systems for customers while reducing the environmental impact of the production process.

With the new capacity, the business that once belonged to DuPont and before that to Herberts, a subsidiary of Germany's former Hoechst group, will double its output capability in China.

The new highly automated facility is designed to maximize the use of raw materials and accelerate manufacturing cycle time, the company said, adding that advanced air filtration systems will optimize air quality and reduce emissions.

Waterborne coating products produced at the Chinese location are designed to meet global environmental requirements, such as the EU's VOC Regulation 2004/42/EC, which Axalta said can help reduce the overall environmental footprint of China's auto industry.

Sun Lianying, Chairman of the China National Coating Industry Association, said the long-term commitment of the Philadelphia-based coatings producers to the China market and its eco-responsible production process will have a positive impact on the sustainable development of the country's coating industries.

"The development is fully aligned with the Chinese government's goal of developing a sustainable auto industry, using green solutions to meet rising market demand across the country," he added.