Evonik plans capacity expansion in isophorone chemistry
- Capacity expansion planned for isophorone and isophorone diamine
- New world-scale plant will significantly strengthen market leadership
- Start of production scheduled for 2013
Evonik Industries intends to construct a new production plant for isophorone and isophorone diamine. A suitable site is being sought, and economic and strategic market factors play an important role in this decision. Production is scheduled to start in 2013. The Board of Management of Evonik Degussa GmbH has now approved the plant project plan.
“Isophorone chemistry is a core business for Evonik. The market for isophorone and its derivatives is growing steadily and proved to be robust even during the economic crisis. That’s why we want to sustainably strengthen our market and technological leadership by capacity expansion,” explains Klaus Engel, Chairman of the Executive Board of Evonik Industries.
In planning construction of a world-scale, state-of-the-art plant, Evonik is responding to increasing demand from its customers in a large number of user industries. With this investment, moreover, the company is creating a framework for possible subsequent expansion of its range in isophorone chemistry.
“We want to satisfy as far as possible our customers' expectations regarding costs and geographic proximity,” says Gerd Brand, head of the Crosslinkers Business Line. “So we're looking particularly at attractive investment climates in South-East Asia and China and considering these in our planning.” Evonik currently has production sites in Herne and Marl (Germany), Antwerp (Belgium), as well as Mobile (Alabama, USA).
Evonik is the only company in the world to produce and market the entire isophorone line, consisting of isophorone, isophorone diamine, isophorone diisocyanate, and their derivatives. These products are used as an important part, for example, in the production of industrial floorings, artificial leather, and paints and coatings as well as in the growth area of high performance composites.
About Evonik
Evonik Industries is the creative industrial group from Germany. In our core business of specialty chemicals, we are a global leader. In addition, Evonik is an expert in power generation from hard coal and renewable energies, and one of the largest private residential real estate companies in Germany. Our company’s performance is shaped by creativity, specialization, continuous self-renewal, and reliability. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world. In its fiscal
year 2009 about 39,000 employees generated sales of about €13.1 billion and an operating profit (EBITDA) of about €2.0 billion.
Evonik Industries has been producing specialty chemical products in China since the early 1990’s; with wide-ranging trading relations already in place prior to this. The Group now has a total of 20 companies and 16 production sites in the Greater China region. Evonik regards China as one of the driving forces of the global economy, and we consequently intend to increase our business in Greater China to around €2 billion by 2015.
Disclaimer
In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this press release or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Neither Evonik Industries AG nor its group companies assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release.