Essen, Germany -- Evonik Industries has inaugurated its new production plant in Shanghai, which produces catalysts used in intermediates for polyurethane, a 10 June company statement said.
The catalysts are used to make intermediates for polyurethane, used in applications including car-seat foams and refrigerator insulation, Evonik said.
"The new facility now allows us to supply the Chinese market straight from a local source," said Wilfred Eul, head of Evonik's Catalysts business. The Shanghai site is ideal, Evonik said, given its proximity to the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces, which are home to a host of pharmaceuticals and fine-chemicals companies. Proximity to Chinese customers means that products and services can be optimally geared to the needs of that industry, the statement added.
"This enables us to participate even more intensely in the booming Chinese pharmaceuticals and fine-chemicals markets and to augment our market position," Eul added.
In other news, Evonik Goldschmidt is taking part in a global initiative to promote sustainable palm oil. Palm oil is an ingredient used in some natural oil polyols, which are used in the production of flexible and rigid foam.
According to Evonik, the supply chains of oleochemical ingredients are "highly complex" and palm oil and its derivatives are mixed up in many steps during the conversion and refinery -- "complete traceability is often missing," the company said in an 11 June statement.
The RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) is a multi-stakeholder initiative to promote the growth and use of sustainable palm oil through cooperation with palm growers and the following supply chain, Evonik added. (RD)
PIC: Evonik's inauguration ceremony in Shanghai.
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