Belgium - Degussa brings world’s largest DL-methionine facility on stream

Degussa AG, Dusseldorf, has officially brought the world’s largest DL- methionine facility on stream at its site in Antwerp, Belgium. Management Board Chairman Dr. Klaus Engel notes: “This investment strengthens our position as a leading producer of DL-methionine for the long term.“ The new large-scale facility has a capacity of 120,000 tonnes per year. With a production capacity totaling around 350,000 tonnes per year, Degussa is the world’s number one in DL-methionine. Commissioning of the facility, which began in fall 2003 and has now been completed on schedule, was carried out yesterday in the presence of Kris Peeters, the Flemish Minister for Public Works, Energy, Environment and Nature.

“The new facility underscores our excellent position in the market while also ensuring maximum efficiency in production and security of supply“, comments Dr. Hubert Wennemer, Head of the Feed Additives Business Unit. “It means we are ideally equipped for handling the increasing world demand for DL-methionine. The high-growth developing markets such as Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe will also account for a large share of this.”

The new facility is the fourth of its kind within the Degussa Group, the others being the existing production facilities for DL-methionine in Wesseling (Germany), Antwerp (Belgium) and Mobile (USA). It represents the most significant single investment to date by the world’s largest specialty chemical company.

Rapid worldwide implementation of the vertical integration concept

The DL-methionine facility that has now been brought on stream in Antwerp sets new standards in terms of size and degree of vertical integration in the production facilities at the site. It obtains all the important intermediates from its own raw material production. The facilities required for producing the raw materials acrolein and methyl mercaptane, and for expanding the existing hydrocyanic acid production, were all constructed at the same time. Degussa is also rapidly implementing this concept of integrated raw materials production at its other DL-methionine production sites such as Mobile.

The new facility complex has been delivering high levels of production since the last part was commissioned in April 2006. The old DL-methionine facility at the Antwerp site, which has a production capacity of 80,000 tonnes a year, will be modernized and activated in stages as global demand grows.

Antwerp is one of Degussa’s major sites, with fourteen production facili-ties for seven Business Units. Degussa employs a staff of around 1,000 at the site, while the Feed Additives Business Unit has around 200 employees. The site boasts an excellent infrastructure: apart from the logistical advantages of the seaport, it also enjoys good road and rail transport links.

DL-methionine is an essential amino acid used to ensure healthy and environmentally compatible nutrition for livestock, particularly poultry and pigs.

Degussa is the only company in the world to provide all four important amino acids for animal nutrition: DL-methionine, L-lysine (Biolys®), L-threonine and L-tryptophan. In over 100 countries of the world the Feed Additives Business Unit delivers innovative services and products, and contributes to customers’ profitability while enabling healthy and environmentally friendly animal nutrition.

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Belgium - Degussa brings world’s largest DL-methionine facility on stream