MetoKote service centers, where they are
treated to enhance paint adhesion and
painted with electrocoat, powder or liquid coatings technologies. Coated parts
are then shipped to the customer’s next
stage of assembly. MetoKote coats an average of more than 1.5 million parts per
day.
“This acquisition will help us to bet-
ter understand and meet our custom-
ers’ critical coatings requirements,” said
Viktor Sekmakas, PPG executive vice
president. “We are responding to custom-
ers’ requests to streamline the purchasing,
delivery and application of coatings by
adding MetoKote’s capabilities to PPG.
This will simplify our customers’ op-
erations, enabling them to focus on their
core competencies of product design and
manufacturing. Having a more intimate
understanding of our customers’ coat-
ings needs will help us to offer enhanced,
end-to-end solutions and services going
forward.”
Sekmakas added, “MetoKote is a lead-
er in coatings services. Its size, breadth of
capabilities and geographic reach com-
plement PPG’s technology and regional
customer base. With this acquisition, we
will be able to deliver process efficiency
and streamline coatings operations for
our customers, helping to drive a new era
of innovation.”
BASF Breaks Ground on
New Automotive Coatings
Plant in Shanghai
BASF broke ground on a new, world-scale automotive coatings plant, at the
company’s existing site at the Shanghai
Chemical Industry Park in Caojing,
Shanghai, China. The new plant represents an investment of around €140 million, and is expected to start operation in
the fourth quarter of 2017. As the latest
investment of the joint venture between
BASF and Shanghai Huayi Fine Chemical
Co., Ltd, the new plant is an expansion
of the automotive coatings plant, which
began production in 2014.
“With the expansion, we continue
to invest in local production to closer
align with China’s automotive industry,”
said Dr. Stephan Kothrade, president
and chairman Greater China, BASF. “As
the leading chemical supplier to the au-
tomotive industry, BASF takes an active
role in developing this rapidly growing
business, based on our local production
network, innovative power and market
knowledge.”
“Our automotive OEM customers in
China increasingly look for innovative,
eco-efficient coatings solutions to drive
sustainability in their processes. Adding
world-class manufacturing and R&D
capabilities in the country is our contri-
bution to the rapidly evolving expecta-
tions of the automotive industry,” said
Dr. Markus Kamieth, president, Coatings
Solutions, BASF. “This new investment in
China is another example of our ongoing
growth strategy in this region and in our
automotive coatings business.”
“We have been investing in parallel
with the growth of the automotive in-
dustry, strengthening our presence where
our customers are located. Further in-
vestment into China reflects our strong
commitment to our customers in order
to provide faster and more efficient solu-
tions that support their business growth,”
said Peter Fischer, senior vice president,
Coatings Solutions Asia Pacific, BASF.
In addition to this new plant, BASF
also operates a production facility for
resins and electrocoat at the same loca-
tion. The close proximity of these plants
allows for more synergies and efficiency.
AkzoNobel’s Methodology
for Sustainable Ship Owners
Wins Environmental Award
AkzoNobel’s pioneering methodology
for rewarding ship owners who use sustainable hull coatings has been named
Environmental Leader Product of the
Year for 2016. The award recognizes the
introduction of the shipping industry’s
first carbon credits methodology, which
was developed by the company’s Marine
Coatings business.
Launched in 2014 in conjunction
with The Gold Standard Foundation
and Fremco Group, the scheme is based
on ship owners converting existing vessels from a biocidal antifouling system
to a premium, biocide-free hull coating
such as Intersleek, part of AkzoNobel’s
International range of marine coatings.
The methodology financially
rewards ship owners for using
sustainable hull coatings that
improve operational efficiencies
and reduce emissions. This is reflected
in the awards success, which specifically
recognizes the role of the initiative in improving environmental and energy management in the shipping industry, while
delivering bottom line benefits to those
who participate.
Commenting on the company’s award,
the judging panel said: “Intersleek is a
great technology to help reduce green-
house emissions from the shipping indus-
try, and the carbon credits methodology
will help incentivize ship owners to adopt
it. This could be a very impactful initia-
tive, leading the industry towards sustain-
able shipping.”
Oscar Wezenbeek, managing direc-
tor of AkzoNobel Marine Coatings,
added: “We are delighted that our ef-
forts to support our customers, while
also making an important contribution
to reducing global emissions, has been
recognized. This award shows the im-
pact and relevance of our carbon credits
methodology, not just within the ship-
ping industry, but also in the context of
the wider global sustainability agenda. It
also provides external validation, which
we hope will give ship owners further
motivation to enroll in the scheme.”
Each carbon credit accrued rep-
resents the avoidance of one ton of
CO2 being emitted to the atmosphere,
meaning that Neda Maritime has off-
set a total of 13,375 ton of CO2 from
its business.
Environmental Leader is a leading
daily trade publication covering energy,
environmental and sustainability news.
The award was presented to AkzoNobel
during the recent Environmental Leader
Product & Project Awards ceremony held
in Denver in the U.S. CW
