Evonik breaks ground on new polyamide 12 complex in Germany

Evonik officials at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Photo Credit: Evonik

Specialty chemicals company Evonik has officially begun construction on its largest investment to date in its home country of Germany: a new polyamide 12 (PA 12) complex in Marl Chemical Park.

Operated by Evonik, Marl Chemical Park is one of the largest chemical sites in Germany and Evonik’s largest production location. The site covers an area of more than 6 square kilometres and provides around 10,000 jobs.

The new facility – which represents an investment of more than 400 million euros – will expand Evonik’s capacity for PA 12 by more than 50 per cent, and will complement existing PA 12 production there with additional plants for the polymer and its precursors.

Startup is scheduled for 2021.

“This is the biggest single investment our company has made in Germany,” Christian Kullmann, chairman of the Executive Board of Evonik Industries AG, said in a Sept. 17 statement. “We’re building this plant because we want to continue to grow with innovative specialty chemical products. With our high-performance polymer PA 12 we can supply global strategic growth markets such as 3D printing. But also in the automotive industry, our light-weight and long-lasting plastic makes an important contribution to resource efficiency.”

In addition to Evonik, its subsidiaries, and its affiliates, 17 other companies have operations in the Chemical Park.

Evonik employs just under 7,000 people in Marl, and manufactures basic, fine, and specialty chemicals at the site.