LANXESS Invests EUR 100 Million in German Sites

Investment Overview

LANXESS is investing EUR 100 million over the next three years to expand production facilities for chemical intermediates. The investment will be distributed with EUR 40 million each for the Leverkusen and Krefeld-Uerdingen sites in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the remaining funds allocated to Brunsbüttel in Schleswig-Holstein and Antwerp, Belgium. The project is expected to be completed by 2020.

Site-Specific Investments

At the Krefeld-Uerdingen site, production facilities for trimethylolpropane, hexanediol, and menthols will be expanded to meet growing global demand. These chemicals are essential for the automotive, furniture, construction, and pharmaceutical industries. Construction is set to begin next year.

In Leverkusen, capacity expansion for special amines, used mainly in the automotive sector, is scheduled to start this year.

The Brunsbüttel site will see a significant increase in the capacity of the MEA plant, with up to EUR 15 million invested. MEA, or 2-methyl-6-ethylaniline, is primarily used as a precursor for crop protection herbicides.

In Antwerp, a mid-single digit euro million figure will be invested to expand production capacities for rubber chemicals.

Business Unit and Product Applications

The Advanced Industrial Intermediates business unit employs around 2,100 workers and is a leading manufacturer of high-quality industrial chemicals. Aromatic compounds are a key focus, forming the core of production. These intermediates are used in agrochemicals, polymers, paints, coatings, pigments, cosmetics, flavorings, fragrances, fuel additives, lubricants, tires, technical rubber goods, and construction chemicals.

In fiscal 2016, the Advanced Intermediates segment recorded sales of around EUR 1.74 billion.