Perstorp Increases Carboxylic Acid Production
Perstorp Expanding Carboxylic Acid Production
Leading specialty chemicals company Perstorp plans to have approximately 70,000 tonnes per year of additional capacity for carboxylic acid production in 2024.
The investment will enable Perstorp to significantly increase output and strengthen its position as a provider of sustainable solutions. The increased capacity will meet growing demand in various high-value applications including phthalate-free plasticisers for PVC, liquids designed for applications such as cooling lubricants, various propionates used in food preservation and carboxylic acids for use in animal feed gut health and preservation products. The majority of the output will be used in downstream production operated by Perstorp itself.
Perstorp will build a new facility on the site of its existing carboxylic acid production operations in Stenungsund, Sweden. Like the original unit, it will be able to produce acids from C3 to C9 and will significantly strengthen the company's portfolio. Both facilities will be fully integrated into Perstorp's Oxo production platform.
[caption id="attachment_137978" align="aligncenter"] Perstorp's production facility in Stenungsund, Sweden.[/caption]The decision to continue capacity expansion came during a period of strong growth for Perstorp, which has maintained a strong position in key markets despite disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Betty Lu, Vice President responsible for Perstorp Oxo chemicals, said, "The expansion aligns with our growth strategy and increased emphasis on specialty products and will strengthen our leading position in sustainable solutions for our core focus segments. After a temporary delay due to COVID, I am pleased that our acid capacity expansion is back on track. This capacity investment will eliminate our last bottleneck and enable us to grow our unique phthalate-free plasticiser Pevalen™ and Pevalen™ Pro without constraints in the coming years."
Perstorp holds a unique position among plasticiser producers in offering Pevalen™, a high-performance polyolester plasticiser ideal for consumer-near sensitive applications such as coated fabrics and films and sheets. Pevalen™ meets growing demand for next-generation plasticisers and offers performance advantages over some of the most commonly used plasticiser solutions in terms of efficiency and UV stability.
Perstorp also uses carboxylic acids for in-house production of various grades of food preservative (Profina™ CP) and animal feed preservative (ProSid™ MI 208). Perstorp is able to realise these products through upstream integration.
Valmira Özten, Vice President responsible for Perstorp Formates and Propionates, says the company has witnessed strong demand growth for both Profina™ and ProSid™.
As a result, the company plans to significantly increase its calcium propionate production capacity currently located in Castellanza near Milan, Italy. The new capacity could be brought online in early 2024, with various sites being evaluated. Perstorp markets calcium propionates in numerous countries worldwide.
