2015-2017 Exhibitions
Emerald Kalama to add on US$40 mn expansion in Europe
US-headquartered Emerald Kalama Chemical, a business group of Emerald Performance Materials, is adding a second benzoic acid purification and finishing process at its facility in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The new process will add an additional 100,000 tonnes/ year capacity of high purity benzoic acid (Purox B) and also provide an increased production capability for benzaldehyde. The project is slated for completion in late 2016.
The company previously announced it had begun engineering the expansion in April, which would focus on high purity benzoic acid to support growing demand for the company’s Kalama and Purox brands of benzoic acid flakes, sodium benzoate granules and liquid benzoic acid, which it provides for food and beverage, personal care, pharmaceutical and a variety of industrial applications. The main products from the company’s reactor train, benzoic acid and benzaldehyde, are key intermediates used for the production of the company’s downstream products like its K-Flex plasticisers and Kalama aroma chemicals.
“Reassessing our long-term strategic plan for our key intermediates, our expectations for benzoic acid continue to show strong growth and track according to plan,” said Hubert Degens, Vice-President of the Emerald Kalama Chemical Benzoates and Intermediates business. “In addition, our recent acquisition of Innospec Widnes’s aroma chemical business — and growth plans for that platform — are in line with our increased production capacity for benzaldehyde.”
The company has been producing benzoic acid at its Rotterdam and US operations for more than 50 years. Emerald Kalama Chemical’s portfolio of benzoic acid products is FDA-approved and GRAS-classified. The Rotterdam operation is also certified to meet quality standards, including ISO-9001, ISO-14001, HACCP, FamiQS and FSSC22000.
(PRA)
2015-2017 Exhibitions
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