(Bayer) -- Bayer MaterialScience plans to invest roughly USD 100 mln in the expansion of the high-tech production plant for MDI (diphenylmethane diisocyanate) at the Bayer Brunsbuttel Industrial Park in Germany. The project is part of the phased optimization concept announced previously for isocyanate production in Europe. The first of the coordinated phases is the construction of a new high-tech production plant for TDI (toluene diisocyanate) in Dormagen with an annual capacity of 300 KTa. The facility is scheduled to come on stream in 2014.
Somewhat later, the annual capacity of the existing MDI plant in Brunsbuttel will be expanded from 200 KT to a total of 420 KTa. The TDI plant at the site will be converted to MDI as part of this measure.