Evonik completes conceptual and basic engineering phase of new PA12 production complex

Evonik has completed the conceptual and basic engineering stage for building its new polyamide 12 production complex on schedule, and has now entered the project implementation phase.

The €400 million project, Evonik’s largest investment in Germany so far, is expected to increase the Group’s overall capacity for PA12 by more than 50 per cent.

Additional facilities for producing the polymer and its precursors will be constructed at the Marl Chemical Park in North Rhine-Westphalia and will supplement the existing PA12 production plant.

Dr Ralf Dussel, Head of the High Performance Polymers Business Line at Evonik, said: “This project is a special challenge. In Evonik’s engineering unit, some 80 engineers are working on the project. We have also contracted a well-known, globally active technical service provider for the detail engineering of individual sub-projects.”

“The construction project is located in the direct vicinity of ongoing production, with special safety standards, and we have to keep areas for construction containers, material storage, and pre-assembly open in addition to the actual construction sites, The Marl Chemical Park offers us optimal conditions for this extraordinary feat. Once we start up the new facility, the existing structures that have been in place for over 50 years will be used for product distribution.”

Dr Claus Rettig, Head of the Resource Efficiency Segment, said: “This investment supports Evonik’s consistent concentration on speciality chemicals. As a high-performance polymer for special applications, polyamide 12 I an important aspect of the Smart Materials Growth Engine.”“What’s more, products made from PA12 are usually energy efficient, they are durable, and require less maintenance than steel components, for example in gas pipelines, and contribute to lightweight construction.”