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Heraeus, Evonik collaborate on HPAPIs

Germany-based Evonik and Heraeus Precious Metals have announced that they are collaborating to expand their range of services for HPAPIs. They intend to build a fully integrated offering from the pre-clinical stage to commercial manufacturing, with streamlined transfer between small- and large-scale production between their respective sites.

Heraeus’s Pharmaceutical Ingredients business offers customised services for both earlier and later clinical phases and smaller to mid-volume HPAPI commercial products. It claims to be the world’s leading supplier of platinum-based HPAPIs.

Evonik acquires Argentine firm

Subject only to official approval, Evonik has acquired Novachem, a maker of biotechnological, natural and sustainable actives for skin and hair care applications based in Buenos Aires. Novachem will be integrated into the Care Solutions business line within the Nutrition & Care division.

Evonik expands in Asian alkoxides

Evonik has begun construction of a new production plant for alkoxides on Jurong Island in Singapore. Described as a “mid double-digit million-euro investment” this will complement sites in Germany, Argentina and the US, supplying the growing Asia-Pacific market when it comes onstream at the end of 2024. The aim is to achieve zero Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions.

Evonik penalised for emissions

Evonik has reached a settlement with the US EPA for exceeding permitted emission limits of ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol at its speciality surfactants facility in Reserve, Louisiana. Both are regulated as hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) under the Clean Air Act.

This followed an inspection on 18 April 2033 and an information request on 27 September, which concluded that emissions had exceeded the permitted levels. Evonik shut down the operations from 18 November until 3 February 2023, when it installed a temporary flare that can remove 98% or more of HAP emissions.

Evonik sells site to ICIG

Evonik has agreed to sell its site at Niederkassel-Lülsdorf, Germany, and the associated cyanuric chloride business at Wesseling to International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG). Terms were not disclosed and the deal is scheduled to close in mid-2023, subject to regulatory clearance and approval by the competent Evonik committees. The businesses being divested had sales of around €260 million in 2022.

Double Asian advance for Evonik

Evonik is making a “mid-double-digit million euro investment” in a production facility for its Aeroxide brand of fumed aluminium oxide at its site in Yokkaichi, Japan (pictured). This will be its first alumina plant in Asia and will be geared to making ultra-thin separator coatings the next generation lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. Construction will begin this summer for a scheduled opening in 2025.

German companies in renewable energy deals

Lanxess and Evonik have separately signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) with energy companies Engie and EnBW respectively, under which they will increase the renewable share of their electricity needs in the coming years. The former’s PPA will see 1,400 GWh supplied to seven sites from 17 wind farms and four solar parks in Germany. Meanwhile the latter is taking an additional 50 MW from EnBW’s planned He Dreiht offshore wind farm in the North Sea over the next 15 years, in addition to 100 MW it signed to take last November.

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