AkzoNobel's specialty chemicals business recently broke ground on a new alkoxylation facility in Ningbo, China, bringing the company's total investment in the strategic multi-site to more than €400 million.

The new plant is expected to boost AkzoNobel's position as a leading surfactant producer in China and enable a more sustainable footprint in the region so that it can better serve customers.

"Our investment in this new plant is further proof of our ongoing commitment to China, which is one of our most strategically important markets," said Werner Fuhrmann, AkzoNobel's executive committee member responsible for specialty chemicals. "The new facility also gives added momentum to our organic growth ambitions, as well as enabling us to continue expanding our manufacturing footprint in Asia."

The Ningbo multi-site covers around 50 hectares and accommodates production for chelates, ethyleneamines, ethylene oxide, organic peroxides and Bermocoll cellulose derivatives. Surface Chemistry's latest investment will increase annual capacity by nearly 18,000 tons, mainly catering for domestic demand in China.

"The new alkoxylation facility in Ningbo will allow us to better serve our customers in the region, which is one of our top priorities," said Graeme Armstrong, managing director of AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry. "It also provides us with the opportunity to meet the increasing demands of the market while operating production locally, which will result in less need for transportation, shorter turnaround times and a lower carbon footprint."

The added alkoxylation capacity (the process of reacting a fatty amine with ethylene oxide to make ethoxylated amines) will enable the company to better serve its customers in the agrochemical, oilfield and personal care markets, according to company officials.

"Ningbo is one of the company's most important production locations, and this new investment means we can offer additional employment opportunities to the local market, while continuing to focus on organic growth, operational excellence and achieving leading performance,' said LIN Liangqi, president of AkzoNobel China.