German-based Evonik Industries opened a new biodiesel catalyst production plant in Argentina. This company news release says Evonik hopes to take advantage of what it sees as a growing South American market.
“As one of the world’s leading providers of biodiesel-production catalysts, we wish to continue consolidating and expanding our position,” [Patrik Wohlhauser, the member of the Evonik Executive Board responsible for the South America Region] remarked at the plant opening. He then added, “The investment is both a clear acknowledgment of our commitment in South America, as well as part of our strategy, which we hope will allow us to participate in the region’s growth.”
With an annual capacity of over 60,000 metric tons, the new production plant will supply ready-to-use alkoxides for use as catalysts in biodiesel production from renewable raw materials. The new facilities will serve primarily the Argentine and Brazilian markets. Evonik located the plant on the same site as Terminal 6 S.A., which operates a large biodiesel facility.
As Jan Van den Bergh, president of Evonik’s Advanced Intermediates Business Unit, explains, “Our aim in building the plant in Puerto General San Martín in the Rosario Region—in the heart of Argentina’s biodiesel industry—is to supply our South American customers with locally produced, high-quality catalysts.”
Evonik is one of the world leaders in biodiesel catalysts, with facilities in Argentina, Germany, and Mobile, Alabama, in the United States.