AkzoNobel has doubled annual production capacity at its Industrial Coatings site in Songjiang near Shanghai, China at a cost of around €14 million.

The company said the expansion to add production lines for packaging coatings and epoxy and polyester resins have made the site, employing 300 people, the largest of its kind in the region. It will supply growing consumer demand from a number of key markets. AkzoNobel's largest research and development center in China also is based at Songjiang.

"By expanding capacity at our Songjiang site, we are well positioned to capture the ongoing demand from consumer and construction markets," said Conrad Keijzer, member of Akzo Nobel's executive board with responsibility for Performance Coatings.

The Dutch chemical producer is also expanding its activities in other parts of China, including operations for powder coatings and decorative paints at Chengdu, which are receiving combined investment of €50 million.

AkzoNobel also recently opened a new regional office for western China at Chengdu this week, housing employees from several coatings businesses. Across the country, it employs more than 7,400 people, including 500 in research and development. The company's Chinese sales totalled €1.6 billion in 2013.