Government officials and business leaders lay the foundation stone of the plant in the Rugao Economic and Technological Development Zone on Nov 28. [Photo/WeChat account: rugaofabu] 

A plant that will produce high-tech glass for automobile dash and interior instrument displays started construction on Nov 28 in the Rugao Economic and Technological Development Zone on Nov 28, local media reported.

The project will receive 1 billion yuan ($145 million) in investment, 500 million yuan of which will be spent on purchasing 177 sets of high-end equipment, including glass coating machines, spraying machines and automatic ultrasonic cleaning machines.

The plant is expected to start operating on Aug 1, 2021, with the plant's main body being completed on April 30, 2021 and the equipment installation being finished on June 30.

When ramped up, the plant is expected to produce 6 million sets of cover glass of interior automobile instrument displays annually, generating 1.2 billion yuan in taxable sales revenue.

"The project, involving a strategic emerging industry, will be an important part of Rugao's two pillar industrial chains – optoelectronics and automobile parts," said Ding Xinghua, deputy Party secretary of Rugao, at the groundbreaking ceremony.

Ding pledged that the local government would work to create a favorable business environment and offer high-quality services, to ensure the project progresses smoothly.