The second phase of the production center of Jiahe Foods Industry Co is under construction in the Haimen district of Nantong, while the first phase has started trial operations and is expected to generate 350 million yuan ($50.72 million) in taxable sales revenue by the end of this year, local media reported.

The Suzhou-based company decided to build the largest starch-based sugar production center in Haimen in 2018, due to the district’s geographical advantages and favorable business climate, according to Yang Xiaolei, assistant general manager of the company.

The Haimen subsidiary, receiving 2 billion yuan in investment, covers an area of 7.7 hectares and specializes in research and development, production, sales and after-sales services.

According to Yang, the current starch sugar production line is one of the most advanced and intelligent in China, with the largest production capacity at the lowest cost.

A single production line requires less than 90 workers and is capable of producing 630 tons of starch sugar per day, more than 2.5 times the production capacity of domestic counterparts.

Construction on the second phase started in July and is expected to be completed in January, 2021.

After reaching full capacity, the Haimen subsidiary will produce 200,000 tons of plant fat milk products and 400,000 tons of starch sugar annually, with an output value of 4 billion yuan.