MOSCOW (MRC) -- Covestro announced that it has started construction of a new production plant for Vulkollan raw materials in the Map Ta Phut industrial zone in Thailand, according to GV.
The company said that with the new plant, it aims to satisfy the growing demand for high-performance polyurethane elastomers and to serve the ever wider range of applications of the product. The investment is in the high mid double-digit million euro range. Production at the new plant is scheduled to start at the end of 2022. It will employ a staff of more than 25 people.
"With this strategic investment, Covestro wants to further improve its infrastructure and customer proximity and strengthen its presence in the Asia-Pacific region," said Dr. Klaus Schafer, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Covestro. "After expanding our capacities for polycarbonate films, we are now broadening the production spectrum at our Map Ta Phut site with a new investment project."
"With this additional production line, we are not only supporting our customers' demand," said Michael Friede, Head of the Coatings, Adhesives, Specialties segment, "we are also investing in the future global growth of applications and industries with high-end requirements."
"Due to its extremely high mechanical strength and dynamic load capacity, the elastomer is the engineering material of choice for demanding applications," said Dr. Thomas Braig, Head of Elastomers. "In addition, its long-term functional reliability optimises the total cost of ownership compared to other elastomers. This makes Vulkollan the perfect material not only in the material handling industry, but also for a growing number of engineering applications."
According to Covestro, the product is one of the most powerful elastomers on the market. It is mainly used where highest mechanical strength and abrasion resistance is required. Examples are wheels for forklift trucks as well as couplings and seals for the engineering industry.
As MRC reported earlier, Covestro has closed the sale of its European polycarbonates (PC) sheets business to the Munich-based Serafin Group effective January 2, 2020. This includes key management and sales functions throughout Europe as well as production sites in Belgium and Italy.
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated consumption of polycarbonate (PC) granules (excluding imports and exports to/from Belarus) rose in the first three quarters of 2020 by 32% year on year to 75,600 tonnes (57,200 tonnes a year earlier).
Covestro (formerly Bayer MaterialScience) is an independent subgroup within Bayer. It was created as part of the restructuring of Bayer AG from the former business group Bayer Polymers, with certain of its activities being spun off to Lanxess AG. Covestro manufactures and develops materials such as coatings, adhesives and sealants, polycarbonates (CDs, DVDs), polyurethanes (automotive seating, insulation for refrigerating appliances) etc. With 2019 sales of EUR12.4 billion, Covestro has 30 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 17,200 people (calculated as full-time equivalents) at the end of 2019.
MRC