MOSCOW (MRC) -- Arkema announces the proposed divestment of its epoxides business to Cargill, a leader in agricultural products and services. With this project, Arkema is pursuing the repositioning of its portfolio on its core businesses, said the company.
Arkema produces bio-based and specialty epoxides in Blooming Prairie (MN, USA), used as additives or intermediates in the manufacture of lubricants, plastic additives and a wide variety of other applications. Part of Arkema’s Hydrogen Peroxide activity, this business has limited integration with the rest of the Group’s portfolio, generates sales of around US USD40 million and employs approximately 45 people.
By joining Cargill, a global player in bio-based-products, this business of high quality products will benefit from the size and the development strategy of this US Group that will offer new growth potential in the industrial markets.
The offer received values this activity at US USD38.8 million, which is around 10 times historical EBITDA. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021.
As per MRC, Arkema is further increasing its fluoropolymer production capacities in Changshu, China, by 35% in 2022. The increase in capacity is scheduled to come on stream before the end of 2022, the company said in a statement. Financial and overall capacity details of the expansion project were not disclosed.
Ethylene and propylene are the main feedstocks for the production of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), respectively.
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,396,960 tonnes in January-July 2021, up by 7% year on year. Shipments of all grades of ethylene polymers increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 841,990 tonnes in the first seven months of 2021, up by 29% year on year. Supply of propylene homopolymers (homopolymer PP) and block-copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymers) increased, whereas supply of statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers) subsided.
Arkema is one of the world's leading chemical manufacturers headquartered in Colombes (near Paris, France). Founded in 2004 as a result of the restructuring of the French oil company Total, Arkema, with a turnover of EUR6.5 billion, has operations in 40 countries, 10 research centers around the world, and 85 plants in Europe, North America and Asia.
MRC