European Chemical Industry News & Insights

PCC Plans Ethylene Oxide and Processing Plants at Evonik's Lülsdorf Site

At a glance
  • Investment of 500 million euros
  • Construction starts autumn 2021
  • Production includes ethylene oxide, ethylene carbonates, polyethylene glycols, ethoxylates, monoethylene glycol, cellulose ethers, CO2
  • Up to 200 new jobs created

Project Overview

PCC is examining the construction of a production plant for ethylene oxide (EO) and five further processing plants at Evonik's Lülsdorf site. The project, operated by PCC Integrated Chemistries GmbH, involves an investment of around 500 million euros and aims to create up to 200 new jobs.

Production and Capacity

The main EO plant will secure the long-term supply for PCC's chemical division. Five additional plants will process approximately 140,000 tons of EO annually on-site, with around 40,000 tons transported to external customers. The project also includes a CO2 recovery system to reuse about 80 percent of the CO2 generated during production.

Key Figures

The planned plants will produce ethylene oxide, ethylene carbonates, polyethylene glycols, ethoxylates, monoethylene glycol, cellulose ethers, and carbon dioxide (CO2). The project is expected to create 120 jobs directly at PCC and up to 200 jobs including processing companies.

Timeline

The project began in January 2020 with the publication of the project website and information for local residents. Key milestones include a citizens' information event and an application conference in February 2020, followed by the development of license applications and reports from spring to fall 2020. Approval applications were submitted in fall 2020, with plant construction starting from autumn 2021 and installation expected from 2024.