Evonik is selling its site in Lulsdorf (Germany) and the associated cyanuric chloride business in Wesseling (Germany) to International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG, Luxembourg), said Hydrocarbonprocessing.
The agreement was signed on Thursday. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. Lulsdorf is a substantial part of the Functional Solutions business line within Evonik’s Performance Materials division. Transfer of ownership is scheduled for mid-2023. The closing of the transaction is subject to antitrust clearance and approval by the competent Evonik committees.
ICIG is an established Luxembourg-based chemicals investor. The company has approximately 4,800 employees and generated sales of around €4 B last year. It has extensive expertise in the development of sites and business units that no longer are part of the core business of other enterprises.
ICIG has given contractual assurances that the sale will not alter the rights of the employees at the sites. Thomas Wessel, Chief Human Resources Officer at Evonik: “It’s good that our employees in Lulsdorf and the associated business in Wesseling will find themselves in established and experienced hands. That is, and always has been, our precondition in every divestment process.” For example, the agreement excludes dismissals for operational reasons following the transaction until 2032.
In conjunction with the divestment of this site, Evonik is realigning the three businesses of the Functional Solutions business line. With this sale, Evonik will completely divest the production of potassium derivatives and cyanuric chloride, which takes place exclusively in Lulsdorf and Wesseling. As planned, Evonik is retaining the business with alkoxides for biodiesel, which are produced at two further sites apart from Lulsdorf. This business was integrated into the Catalysts business line in the Smart Materials division effective January 1, 2023. ICIG will produce alkoxides at the Lulsdorf site exclusively for Evonik until 2027. In total, the businesses to be divested generated sales of around €260 MMn in 2022.
Evonik started preparing the sale of the Lulsdorf site in fall 2021. The company is now realizing its preferred solution, selling the entire site to a new owner. Plans by another investor to produce ethylene oxide in Lulsdorf had previously caused public concern. The sale to ICIG marks the definitive end of these plans. Instead, ICIG intends to invest in facilities for renewable energies in addition to strengthening the existing production in Lulsdorf.
We remind, Evonik Catalysts is fully on track to expand its production capacities for activated nickel powder catalysts marketed under the KALCAT and Metalyst brands at its production sites in Hanau, Germany, and Dombivli near Mumbai, India.
mrchub.com