Schott recently announced that it has completed the next expansion stage at its pharmaceutical glass tubing site in Jinyun, China.

The company completed construction at the site in just 15 months despite the COVID-19 pandemic, with production starting in November 2020. The plant is meant to create a solid production base for high-quality borosilicate glass tubing in the local Chinese market. The tubing is for pharma containers that store vaccines (e.g., against COVID-19) and other drugs.

“Right on schedule with our planning, we have doubled our melting capacity. It’s another big milestone for pharma tubing in China. The expanded infrastructure will enable a reliable local supply of glass tubing, which is needed urgently to serve the increased demand for pharmaceutical packaging,” Patrick Markschläger, EVP of Schott’s Business Unit Tubing, said in a news release.

Schott so far has created 250 jobs at the Jinyun factory.

“This new site marks the first time our company is melting glass in China. It’s our commitment to help bring the government’s vision of ‘Healthy China 2030’ into reality,” Markschläger said.

Schott has invested €60 million (about $68 million) in the Chinese tubing plant as part of a worldwide $1 billion pharma business investment program.