ESSEN, Germany - On June 19, 2012, Evonik Industries held a ground-breaking ceremony for new production plants for the manufacture of isophorone and isophorone diamine in the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP). The group is investing more than EUR 100 million in the plants, which are scheduled to come on stream in the first quarter of 2014, after completion of a roughly two-year construction phase.

The groundbreaking is a milestone for Evonik. “This integrated production platform shall reinforce our presence in an important market and enable us to supply the growing needs of our customers in China and the entire Asia-Pacific region,” emphasized Dr. Dahai Yu, member of the Executive Board of Evonik Industries.

Products from the new facilities will primarily serve markets in China and Asia-Pacific, with an annual capacity of 50kt.

In addition Evonik is installing a new Technical Service Center at its Xinzhuang site in Shanghai. The facility will include state-of-the-art laboratories for applied technology with aims to develop isophorone product applications and provide technology service for customers throughout the region.

With the new production plants and the Technical Service Center, Evonik is continuing its string of extensive investments in China. The group has been producing specialty chemicals in the Greater China region (Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan) since the late 1970s, with wide-ranging trading relations already in place prior to this in the region.

Evonik currently manufactures isophorone chemistry products in Herne and Marl, Germany; Mobile, AL; and Antwerp, Belgium. The group distributes products of the isophorone chemistry worldwide under the trademarks of VESTAMIN^®, VESTANAT^®, VESTAGON^®, and VESTASOL^®.