LANXESS strengthens its butyl rubber site in Belgium

07-05-2012: Specialty chemicals company LANXESS is strengthening its butyl rubber plant in Zwijndrecht, Belgium. The company has significantly invested to expand the production capacity of the existing plant and to build two new pilot plants for the development of production technology for butyl rubber. LANXESS is one of the world’s largest producers of butyl rubber, which is mainly used in the production of tires. The biggest share of butyl rubber produced in Zwijndrecht is premium halobutyl rubber.

“This investment underpins the major role that our butyl rubber production here in Zwijndrecht plays in our global strategy. Our plans for continued growth are founded on innovation and technology that serves the global megatrends – with the primary focus on solutions for sustainable mobility,” said Axel C. Heitmann, Chairman of the Board of Management at LANXESS, during the official opening ceremony.

Capacity expansion to meet strong global demand

With the expansion, the capacity of the facility increased by 10 percent up to 150,000 metric tons of butyl rubber per year. The expansion representing an investment of EUR 20 million was completed at the end of 2011, several months ahead of schedule.

“In the coming decade, we expect demand to grow further so that the new capacities here in Zwijndrecht and from our upcoming plant in Singapore will be fully absorbed by the market,” said Ron Commander, Head of the business unit Butyl Rubber at LANXESS.

In addition to the expansion in Zwijndrecht, LANXESS is building a new butyl rubber facility on Jurong Island, Singapore, with a total capacity of 100,000 metric tons per year. The plant, which will be the most modern of its kind and represents the company’s single-largest investment ever, is expected to start up in the first quarter of 2013. LANXESS has another butyl rubber plant in Sarnia, Canada, with a capacity of 150,000 metric tons per year.