Inergy Automotive Systems (F-75009 Paris; www.inergyautomotive.com), a 50:50 joint venture of Plastic Omnium and Solvay with the state-owned investment holding company of the People´s Republic of China, SDIC (www.sdic.com.cn), have signed a memorandum of understanding for Inergy to acquire a majority stake in Yangzhou Automotive Plastic Parts (Yapp, Yangzhou / China; www.yapp.com). SDIC currently owns the majority interest in Yapp; the other shares are owned by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (www.saicgroup.com).

With a turnover of some EUR 50m in 2004, Yapp is China´s leading plastic fuel systems manufacturer, with production sites in Yangzhou, Shanghai and Tangshan. Inergy, which is also specialised in plastic fuel tank systems, wants to strengthen its position on the Chinese market, which a spokesman said “is growing at incredible speed.”