Kuraray to expand production of polyvinyl alcohol in Frankfurt

Date: 20 January 2011

Kuraray is increasing production capacity for polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) at its subsidiary Kuraray Europe GmbH in the Höchst Industrial Park in Frankfurt, Germany.

Construction of a sixth production line will raise capacity from 70,000 tonnes p.a. to 94,000 tonnes p.a. by 2013. At the same time, the company intends to raise the energy efficiency of production considerably by optimising process technology. Total investment will be EUR 58 million.

The aim of this investment is to participate in growth in the European PVA market and meet rising demand for PVA and polyvinyl butyral (PVB) which is produced from it. Kuraray is Europe’s leading producer of PVA (Mowiol®) and PVB (Mowital® / Pioloform®). These products are used in many areas of daily life: in the manufacture of paper, textiles, packaging, printing inks, paints, adhesives, water-soluble films and ceramics. Another key area of application is PVB films, which Kuraray produces at its site in Troisdorf, Germany, and markets as TROSIFOL® for laminated safety glass for vehicles, buildings and solar installations. Kuraray expects clear growth in this business especially for PVB films.

Dr. Matthias Gutweiler, managing director of Kuraray Europe GmbH and head of the PVA/PVB division, stresses the importance of this investment: “The investment is a key milestone in the ongoing development of our company. It will protect jobs, strengthen our position in the value chain and speed up our growth in Europe.”

Kuraray Europe GmbH

Kuraray Europe GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of the global speciality chemical company Kuraray Co., Ltd., which is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Kuraray was founded in 1926 and now has around 6,600 employees and annual sales of about EUR 3 billion. It is one of the largest suppliers of polymers and synthetic microfibres and an international leader in the development and use of innovative high-performance materials. Kuraray Europe GmbH is based at Höchst Industrial Park in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and has around 600 employees. It is the leading European producer of PVA, PVB and PVB films. The company’s product portfolio also includes chemical specialities, activated carbon filters, thermoplastic elastomers, manmade fibres, artificial leather and dental products. For further information please visit www.kuraray.eu.

Kuraray is raising PVA production capacity at its facilities in Höchst Industrial Park in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, from 70,000 tonnes p.a. to 94,000 tonnes p.a.

Dr. Matthias Gutweiler, managing director of Kuraray Europe GmbH and head of the PVA/PVB division.