Kemira has completed the expansion of its formic acid plant in Oulu, increasing production capacity by 30% to over 100,000 t/a. The expansion involved technological improvements, energy savings, and additional tank capacity in the Oulu harbour. Kemira aims to strengthen its market position and meet customer needs with this investment. Formic acid is biodegradable and used in various industries.
The expansion of Kemira’s formic acid plant in Oulu has completed and taken in use. The expansion enables Kemira’s total production capacity to be increased by 30 percent to over 100,000 t/a.
The expansion was performed on the existing formic acid units and involved technological improvements and energy savings. More tank capacity was also built in the Oulu harbour to ensure uninterrupted shipments to customers.
Kemira is the global leader in organic acid derivative production and marketing and the second largest producer of formic acid. “With this investment in Oulu, Kemira will further strengthen its position on the market and meet the market needs”, says Petri Helsky, Senior Vice President, SBU ChemSolutions.
Formic acid is very biodegradable and can be used in many applications in place of more hazardous chemicals. The main markets of formic acid are leather, textile, pharmaceuticals and chemicals industries as well as agriculture.
Kemira produces formic acid and its derivatives in Oulu, Finland and organic acid derivatives in Tiel, the Netherlands.