Evonik Building Organic Surfactants Plant in China

Evonik (Essen, Germany) is building a plant to produce organic specialty surfactants at its site in Shanghai. The company says the new plant should be operational by the middle of 2013. The renewable, raw-material surfactants will be used primarily for cosmetic and laundry-care products.

“With the new plant, Evonik is supporting the growth of its key customers in Asia with local production,” says Patrik Wohlhauser, chairman of the board of management for Evonik Degussa GmbH.

The company adds that by building the plant at the Shanghai site, it benefits from the infrastructure of the large Shanghai Chemical Industry Park and close proximity to its customers’ production facilities.

“We are already well-positioned in the market for cosmetic ingredients in Europe and the United States,” says Claus Rettig, PhD, head of the consumer specialities business unit. “Now we are following our customers to Asia, with state-of-the-art technology and corresponding high-quality ingredients.”

The company says that China, the largest single market for cosmetic products in Asia, is expected to generate 25% of market growth in the near future. The market is already growing by 10% annually, largely due to the growth of the developing middle class who are now looking for higher-quality products, the company says.