Page 30 - Plastics News May 2017

COMPANY NEWS

Lanxess to invest € 25 mn in plastics production chain expansion

in Belgium

erman specialty chemicals company Lanxess will per year in 2004 whenLanxess was founded; current
Ginvest € 25 million in 2017 to further strengthen capacity is 220,000 metric tonnes per year. Since the plant
its integrated production complex for polyamide and came on stream 50 years ago, 6,252,000 metric tonnes
precursors for plastics in Antwerp, Belgium. “Our of caprolactam have been produced. Lanxess not only
integrated production complex in Lillo (Antwerp) is the expanded capacity considerably, it also modernized the
backbone of our global business for high-techplastics. complex. One recent major step was the implementation
Given the trend toward lightweight construction in the of a virtually energy self-sufficient infrastructure.
automotive industry, for example, this is a major future German chemical company has three production sites in
market. Therefore, we are continuously strengthening the Antwerp docklands.Caprolactam and polyamide are
the competitiveness of this site. In total, our company has produced in Lillo-Antwerp, glass fibres & rubber chemicals
invested more than € 300 million in Lillo since 2004 – a are manufactured in Kallo. Arlanxeo, a joint venture of
sum that shows our firm commitment to this site,” said Lanxess and Saudi Aramco, produces synthetic rubber at
Matthias Zachert, chairman of the board of management the site in Zwijndrecht.

Petronas Chemicals to boost
specialty chemicals sales

The chemical manufacturing unit of Malaysia's state
energy firm Petronas is looking to grow "aggressively"
in specialty chemicals to meet demand in new regional
markets and profit from higher margins, its CEO told
Reuters. CEO Datuk Sazali Hamzah said in an interview
Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd, currently sees only 0.2%
of its total sales volumes come from specialty chemicals
but the company is aiming for 15% in the next 20 years,
at Lanxess. The announcement was made on the occasion
of the 50th anniversary of caprolactam production at the "Our game plan is to aggressively pursue it beyond
site.Caprolactam is a key precursor for the production of 2020. We may partner, buy over companies or even do
Lanxess’ high-tech plastics, which are used in automotive direct licensing," he said. The affordability of specialty
and electrical & electronics industries. In recent years, chemicals in its key markets Southeast Asia, China and
Lanxess has focused on building a balanced value chain India is increasing as those economies expand, creating
for its high-tech plasticsproduction operations, which new demand opportunities, Sazali said.
absorbs the lion’s share of the intermediates produced Last month, Petronas Chemicals said it plans to set up
for captive use. a plant to produce specialty chemical isononanol in the
Pengerang Integrated Complex (PIC) in the southern
A milestone on that strategic path was the construction
of a world-class polymerisation plant with an annual Malaysian state of Johor with a total investment
capacity of 90,000 metric tonnes connected directly to the cost of US$442 mln. Sazali said there could be more
caprolactam production facility. Since its start in summer specialty chemicals plants in PIC as well. Isononanol is
2014, the polyamide is shipped from Antwerp to Lanxess’ a building block for chemicals used in the auto, cable
global network of compounding facilities, where it is and construction sectors. The company is spearheading
further processed into the high-tech plastics.The complex the petrochemicals component of PIC, which is
had a capacity of 160,000 metric tonnes of caprolactam Petronas' largest downstream project in Malaysia with
an estimated US$27 bln total investment.

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