Fuhua Chemical: To be a technological innovation pioneer and a green development pilot

In the context of energy transition, environmental protection and technological innovation, the chemical industry is faced with both opportunities and challenges. The Chinese chemical companies are not only obliged cope with the competition in domestic and international markets, but also need to seek breakthroughs in the international market layout, green and low-carbon transformative development. Fuhua Chemical’s firm pursuit of green and high-quality development has set an example for the chemical industry, demonstrating Chinese pesticide manufacturer’s determination and capability of industry transformation and upgrading in the new era. Recently, an industry media had an interview with Steven Lu, deputy general manager of Fuhua Tongda Chemical Co., Ltd, with regard to Fuhua Chemical’s high-end, high-quality, intelligent and green industry development.

By adhering to China’s ″domestic-international dual circulation″ development strategy, Fuhua Chemical, while developing domestic market in more depth, has been expanding its international market layout, having achieved fruitful results. In the circumstance of complex international situation at present, how does your company resolve all kinds of risks? What are the innovations that you have made via your scientific research?

Steven Lu: Fuhua Chemical continues its efforts on expansion of markets at home and abroad, meanwhile continuing to strengthen the strategic cooperation with Sinosure.

Fuhua Chemical has been making continued investment in product quality improvement, product research and development.

Fuhua Chemical always regards technological innovation as the driving force of corporate development, using the ″independent research and development + joint development″ pattern to propel process innovation to have formed a ″1+5+N″ global R&D network, which consists of Fuhua Central Research Institute, five branches and multiple joint R&D platforms. Fuhua Chemical stresses on optimization and upgrading of existing technical process, development of novel varieties like biopesticides while focusing on development of biochemistry and high-end new materials, as well as joining forces with competent institutions to complement each other with the respective advantages of partners, which results in creation of sharing of research results. The company has entered into cooperation with Evonik in establishing a joint laboratory via the innovative Fuying Model realizing the whole process collaboration, from R&D up to product industrialization; has established a joint development platform with Clariant in a joint development of mid-to-high-end phosphorus based flame retardant; has cooperated with HighChem in setting up the Fuhua HighChem New Energy and New Materials Research Institute to jointly promote technical collaboration in the field of new energy, which lays a key technological foundation for Fuhua Chemical’s entry into the field of new materials and new energy.

So far, Fuhua Chemical employs more than 500 R&D personnel. Its R&D spending accounts for 4% of total revenue, being granted more than 130 patents, and 14 innovative technologies. The company’s 14 proprietary products and technologies are on the front rank in China, including glyphosate mother liquor resource utilization technology, by-product salt resource utilization technology, chloromethane PSA technology, cogeneration and ultra-low discharge technology, glufosinate waste residue resource utilization technology, and chlor-alkali waste resource utilization technology. Among these technologies, the chloroacetic acid-based glycine clean production technology has been recognized as internationally advanced; the glyphosate mother liquor resource reclamation and graded recovery technology stands at national leading level; the membrane treatment technology applied to extraction of glyphosate raw powder out of mother liquor and recycling of phosphorus resource has become a popularized process of production; the Integrated Glyphosate Mother Liquor Treatment Technology is endorsed as a Key Supporting Technology to Petrochemical Environmental Protection and Clean Production by China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation (CPCIF), winning the 9th Session China Pesticide Innovation Contribution Award, as given by China Crop Protection Industry Association (CCPIA). 

As a pesticide industry leader, Fuhua Chemical has followed the sustainable development concept in the past 20 years, having created a full-chain green recycling model backed up by its mineral resources. Could you please share with us your strategic deployment and practical actions taken in the course of green development?

Steven Lu: Over the years, Fuhua Chemical has followed the ″green, low-carbon and digitalization″ development idea, having invested nearly RMB2 billion yuan in technological innovation, intelligent transformation and digital transformation to promote the green and high-quality development of the company.  

The low-carbon development idea enables high-quality development of the industry. After nearly 20 years of development, Fuhua Chemical has shaped a vertically-integrated recycling industry chain, from mineral resources to chemical intermediates and terminal chemicals, having realized recycling of chlorine, hydrogen, phosphorus and sodium. The utilization rate of the phosphorus resource in the whole industry chain has reached 99.8%; the utilization rate of the chlorine resource has reached 92% or above; the consumption of major raw materials, and energy consumption indicators are on the front rank of the industry sector, having achieved considerable good economic, environmental and social benefits. The company has been accredited to an energy management system, with an annual waste gas and waste water discharge at only 30% of the allowable amount of discharge, being awarded the honor of ″environmentally good faith″ (green card) for six consecutive years, as endorsed according to a provincial credit rating in 2024; the company’s ″soda production-based salty sludge-oriented waste-free flue gas desulfurization″ was evaluated and deemed as a typical mode of ″waste-free production″ by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

In 2021, the company initiated Fuhua Low Carbon program and established the Fuhua Low-carbon Work Team, in association with Southern University of Science and Technology-affiliated Beijing Huanding Environmental Big Data Institute, Chengdu Customs Technology Center-affiliated Sichuan Chenghai Testing and Certification Co., Ltd, and the China Energy Conservation Association. Fuhua Low-carbon Work Team is engaged in low-carbon research, designing of key product-related carbon footprint accounting method and data management system, development of low-carbon technologies, application of low-carbon achievements, formulation of national and industry low-carbon standards, and seeking international mutual recognition.

In July 2024, Fuhua Chemical established the first low-carbon alliance in the crop protection industry in collaboration with eight crop protection companies including Syngenta (China), Nutrichem, CAC International, Lier Chemical, Hebei Chengxin, Limin Chemical, and Nanjing Red Sun as well as three supportive technical institutions including China Crop Protection Industry Association, Chengdu Customs Technology Center and Beijing Huanding Environmental Big Data Institute, aiming at exploring new paths to low-carbon development and promotion of formulation of new industry standards. Furthermore, together with China Crop Protection Industry Association, Fuhua Chemical formulated and released the group standard, Greenhouse Gas - Product Carbon Footprint Quantification Method and Requirement - Glyphosate TC. Fuhua Chemical took the lead in the release of Sichuan’s local standard, Technical Specification for Product Carbon Footprint Evaluation - Glyphosate TC.

In November 2024, Fuhua Chemical was invited to the COP29 China Pavilion to deliver a speech to disseminate Fuhua Chemical’s low-carbon development concept; in December 2024, Fuhua Chemical won the Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction Science and Technology Advancement Award (Carbon Neutrality Sector) pertaining to the Innovation Award of China Energy Conservation Association; Also, Fuhua Chemical worked with Syngenta to jointly complete the case study of Carbon Reduction and Emission Reduction Management for Chemical Enterprises based on Product Carbon Footprint Accounting, which was awarded the first prize in Sichuan Enterprises Management Innovation Practicing Program. From 2020 to 2024, the company’s carbon emission reduction fulfillment reached approximately 900,000 tons.

As digital transformation promotes green development, Fuhua Chemical introduces Deloitte Consulting’s professional taskforce and advanced SAP management concept to accelerate the company’s digital transformation, having realized deep integration of digital technology with low-carbon development. Through these actions and measures, Fuhua Chemical has formed its scientific decision-making process, intelligent production process  and collaborative operation process, thereby enhancing the company’s global competitiveness. 

In 2023, Fuchuan Company, a subsidiary of Fuhua Chemical, was awarded the title of Green Mine of Sichuan Province; Fuma Company’s research program, Digitalization-based Central Control Platform for Application to Underground Phosphate Mining in Gently Inclined Ore Body, won the second prize of Green Mining Science and Technology Advancement Award. In 2024, Fuhua Chemical stood out of Ding’ge Prize-oriented Digital Transformation Pioneer Billboard, winning the Annual Jury Award.

Join us at the 2025 China Pesticide Exporting Workshop to gain in-depth insights into the dynamics of the pesticide supply chain, and explore innovative solutions and opportunities for collaboration.