AkzoNobel and Evonik Break Ground
for Production JV in Germany
AkzoNobel and Evonik Industries have broken ground at the site of their production joint venture for chlorine and potassium hydroxide solution at Ibbenbüren in Germany.
AkzoNobel will use the new plant to
produce chlorine and hydrogen, which
are essential ingredients for the chemical
industry and people’s daily lives.
The ceremony was staged at
AkzoNobel’s existing facility in
Ibbenbüren, where the two companies
will build and operate a new membrane
electrolysis plant, which is due to come
on stream by the fourth quarter of 2017.
Werner Fuhrmann, member of
AkzoNobel’s Executive Committee responsible for Specialty Chemicals, and
Ralph Sven Kaufmann, Member of the
Board of Evonik Industries AG, conducted the official proceedings at the event,
which was attended by customers, suppliers and employees of both companies,
as well as representatives of the city of
Ibbenbüren and relevant authorities.
“The state-of-the-art plant we are
building will set a new benchmark
for the production of chlorine and
potassium hydroxide solution,” said
Fuhrmann. “It will improve the ecologi-
cal footprint of every ton of chlorine we
produce in Ibbenbüren by 25 to 30 per-
cent. This will result in less energy use
and fewer CO2 emissions, while there
will also be clear benefits for the local
chemical cluster.”
Construction of the new facility
will secure the long-term future of the
Ibbenbüren site and that of the chemi-
cal cluster, helping to prevent a further
withdrawal of industry from the region.
The plant will have an annual nameplate
capacity of around 130,000 metric tons
of potassium hydroxide solution and
82,000 metric tons of chlorine, ensuring
a reliable supply for customers.
Commenting on the partnership,
Ralph Sven Kaufmann said: “This joint
venture will secure Evonik’s future
position in the potassium derivatives
business. We have found an efficient and
sustainable solution to keep on delivering
for our customers.”
Both Fuhrmann and Kaufmann also
applauded the close cooperation between
the two partners: “It’s a source of great
pride,” they said “particularly the excel-
lent work of the joint project team, who
achieved great success in a very tight
timeframe.”
AkzoNobel will commercialize the
chlorine and hydrogen at the new plant,
or will process these products directly
at the Ibbenbüren site. Evonik will take
the new plant’s potassium hydroxide
solution for commercialization and
processing at its own site in Lülsdorf,
which is where it processes potas-
sium hydroxide solution into various
products, including potassium carbon-
ate (potash).
All production of chlorine, potassium
hydroxide and caustic lye using mercury-
based amalgam electrolysis has to stop
by the end of 2017 due to legislative re-
quirements. The planned new membrane
electrolysis plant will use a sustainable
process which has a more positive envi-
ronmental profile.
Chlorine is an essential ingredient
for the manufacture of a wide variety
of products including paper, disinfectants, medicines and plastics used in
the construction, automotive and electronics industries. Hydrogen has many
applications and is used, for example,
as an energy carrier, for the upgrading
of fossil fuels and in the production of
ammonia. CW
Index to Companies
This index gives the starting page for a department or feature with a significant reference to a manufacturer of paint, coatings, adhesives and sealants
Subsidiaries are indexed under their own names.
AkzoNobel........................................................................................... 12, 30, 36
Axalta Coating Systems............................................................................. 12, 36
Henkel ............................................................................................................ 58
HMG Paints.................................................................................................... 12
PPG................................................................................................ 12, 20, 30, 43
Rust-Oleum..................................................................................................... 30
Thompson’s Waterseal..................................................................................... 30
Valspar ............................................................................................................ 20
