MOSCOW (MRC) -- Evonik Industries, the German specialty chemicals company, has opened a new production facility for organic specialty surfactants in the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP) in Shanghai, China, as per the company's statement.
"With this investment, we are sustainably expanding our business in Asia. The new plant in Shanghai not only plays a key role in further consolidating our position in the Chinese market, but is also an important element of our strategy for the growth markets of the entire region," emphasized Dr. Klaus Engel, Chairman of the Executive Board of Evonik Industries AG, in his remarks at the opening ceremony.
The new facility has an annual capacity of around 80,000 metric tons. The investment volume was in the upper two-digit million Euro range. The production uses a number of different technologies, enabling Evonik to offer a broad portfolio of locally manufactured products. These include specialty surfactants from renewable resources that are used in personal care and hygiene products, household cleaning agents, and industrial applications.
Evonik already operates a similar plant in Bekasi, Indonesia, mainly serving manufacturers in the personal and household care industries in Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
The market for laundry care products in Asia is driven by consumer desire for a more comfortable and convenient lifestyle. The Chinese cosmetics market, Asia’s single largest, has been growing in double-digits and is expected to continue growing in this range. The Chinese market for cosmetic ingredients follows this trend.
As MRC reported earlier, this summer, Evonik launched its Composites Project House, based primarily in Marl, with a branch in Darmstadt, to develop new materials and system solutions for the lightweight construction sector.
Evonik, the industrial group from Germany, is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. Its activities focus on the key megatrends health, nutrition, resource efficiency and globalization. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world. In fiscal 2012 more than 33,000 employees generated sales of around EUR13.6 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of about EUR2.6 billion.
MRC