Lanxess To Establish New Formalin Facility In Germany

Published: 02-Feb-2010

Lanxess is planning to establish a new facility for formalin production at its site in Krefeld-Uerdingen, Germany. The specialty chemicals group will then no longer be dependent on buying in the feedstock, which it needs for the production of trimethylolpropane (TMP).

TMP is a trivalent alcohol that is used, among other applications, for numerous products in the furniture, construction and automotive industries.

Reportedly, the total investment for the new building and the process optimisation will be in the order of E18m. As a result, Lanxess will create five additional jobs at its Krefeld-Uerdingen site. Construction of the new plant is expected to begin in the third quarter of this year, with commissioning earmarked for the end of 2011. In addition to the production facility, new formalin and methanol tanks will also be installed across an area measuring around 1,000 square meters.

The company said that the business unit had announced last year that it would complete the expansion of the production facilities for the key basic chemicals cresols, Vulkanox BHT, Vulkanox BKF and monochlorobenzene at the Leverkusen site, in the first quarter of 2010. The project, costing around E35m, will raise capacities by up to 60%.

Rainier van Roessel, member of the board of management and labor relations director at Lanxess, said: “This investment by the Basic Chemicals business unit sends out another important signal in favor of Germany as a location for industrial production, and is a clear thumbs-up for our site in Krefeld-Uerdingen.

“Lanxess will continue to back the German production facilities. Well-trained, experienced employees, an excellent infrastructure and direct access to technical and scientific innovation are very important competitive advantages and a definite benefit for the Uerdingen site.”

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