MOSCOW (MRC) -- Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany) intends to divest its Lulsdorf site in the medium term, said Chemengonline.
More detailed plans will be drawn up by spring 2022. The aim is to transfer the entire site to a new owner, although the sale of parts of the business to various interested parties will also be considered. The company has decided to take this step amid the regulatory phase-out of alkoxide production in Lulsdorf and in order to create prospects for the employees from an early stage. Various potential investors have already expressed interest in the chemical site.
Evonik employs almost 600 people at the site, which is south of Cologne. It mainly produces alkoxides, potassium derivatives and – in association with plants in neighboring Wesseling – cyanuric chlorides. The site and its businesses generate annual sales of around €280 million. Its location at the center of the Western European chemical industry as well as excellent logistical links and reliable supply of raw materials make it particularly suitable for the production of high-volume preliminary and intermediate products.
The business at the Lulsdorf site belongs to the Functional Solutions business line, which is part of the Performance Materials division. Following the planned divestment of the superabsorbents business, the transfer of the site to a new owner is the next logical step in the alignment of Evonik’s portfolio to specialty chemicals.
Lulsdorf has more than 100 years of tradition as a chemical production site. Evonik produces alkoxides – among other things – which are manufactured by means of amalgam electrolysis. From the end of 2027, the operation of this process will no longer be possible due to restrictions imposed by the European Union. The corresponding regulatory procedure has not yet been formally concluded, but no changes are expected.
Alkoxides are needed for the production of biodiesel or, in the future, for the chemical recycling of PET. Evonik also produces them at locations in Argentina (Rosario) and the USA (Mobile).
As MRC informed earlier, in February, 2020, Dow and Evonik entered into an exclusive technology partnership. Together, they plan to bring a unique method for directly synthesizing propylene glycol (PG) from propylene and hydrogen peroxide to market maturity.
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PET consumption totalled 411,200 tonnes in the first six month of 2021, up by 12% year on year. Russian companies processed 62,910 tonnes in June, compared to 85,890 tonnes a month earlier.
Evonik Industries is one of the world's leading chemical companies in the promising areas of specialty chemistry. The company's products are focused on the high growth rates of megatrends, especially healthcare, nutrition, resource efficiency and globalization.
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