Solvay pursues strategic surfactant investments
Solvay has agreed with Emery Oleochemicals and ERCA Group to buy their jointly-owned new Alkoxylation facility, ERCA Emery Surfactant B.V., in the Moerdijk integrated industrial park in the Netherlands, strengthening its strategy of securing sustainable, large-scale surfactant assets worldwide.
The acquisition comes ahead of the start-up of two other large-scale on-pipe alkoxylation units that Solvay’s Novecare Global Business Unit (GBU) is building in Singapore and in the United States, due in the third quarter. It is Novecare’s latest investment to expand its surfactant footprint, complementing the alkoxylation site in Italy and the new surfactant plant in Germany.
“The acquisition of this state-of-the-art facility on a strategically located industrial site will bolster our long-term competitive position in Europe,” said Emmanuel Butstraen, President of Solvay’s Novecare GBU. “This on-pipe unit complements Solvay’s regional footprint and secures our customers access to develop and grow their businesses in dynamic markets around the world.”
The agreement is due to close by mid-April, pending customary approvals. Novecare expects to fully integrate the unit into its industrial network by the fourth quarter with production continuing throughout the process.
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