Dutch AkzoNobel to expand global monochloroacetic acid capacity

06 February 2012 10:35  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (ICIS)--AkzoNobel will strengthen its position in the global monochloroacetic acid (MCAA) market by expanding its production capacity in the Netherlands and China, the Dutch specialty chemicals firm said on Monday.

The company said its MCAA facility at Delfzijl in the Netherlands now has a capacity exceeding 100,000 tonnes/year, following performance trials at the end of 2011.

AkzoNobel added that it is to further increase MCAA production capacity at its Taixing site in China to 100,000 tonnes/year, to meet the continued strong market growth in the country and Asia-Pacific. It reached a capacity of 60,000 tonnes/year in early 2010.

Financial details of the capacity expansions were not disclosed.

“The additional capacity will be used to grow with our existing customer base and further strengthen the competitiveness of AkzoNobel,” said Jurgen Baune, general manager of AkzoNobel’s MCAA business.

“Our key focus will be to serve the increasing demand for high-purity MCAA in main end-markets like agrochemicals, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), surfactants and thioglycolic acid.”

Since the inauguration of the Delfzijl plant in 2006 and the Taixing plant in 2002, AkzoNobel has been steadily expanding the production capacities at both facilities to serve growing demand.

“We believe that the expansion of these two facilities will further enhance our competitive position in the global market,” said Baune.

The global MCAA market is currently estimated at 650,000 tonnes/year, the company said.

In addition to the Delfzijl and Taixing plants, AkzoNobel operates MCAA facilities in the US and in Japan via Denak, a 50:50 joint venture with Denki Kagaku Kogyo.

By: Franco Capaldo
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