Kemira has acquired the Italian corporation Ageco’s ferric chloride
production
facility in Cremona. The annual capacity of the facility is 25,000 tonnes. The
production facility will be part of Kemira’s Italian subsidiary,
Kemira Chimica
SpA.
Ferric chloride is primarily used as a coagulant in public utility and industrial
water-treatment/order_t/'>water treatment. All of the Cremona facility’s output is used for the production of
potable
water and
water treatment. The ferrous raw material used in production
is provided by the
ISP steel mill in Cremona.
The deal now closed will reinforce Kemira’s position as a coagulant producer in
Italy and surrounding countries. “There is an increasing need in most parts of the
world to improve water treatment. This acquisition fits therefore perfectly with our
strategic ambitions in southern Europe”, says Lennart Johansson, President,
SBU Kemwater.
The deal is in line with the Kemira Group strategy whereby water treatment is
listed as a growth area. Kemira is the world’s largest producer of coagulants for
water treatment, and Kemwater has 30 production facilities world-wide.
In addition to water treatment, Kemira’s other areas of growth are pulp and
paper chemicals and
paints, with other areas of focus being specialty
fertilizers
and
industrial chemicals. The Kemira Group has net sales of EUR 2,486 million
(2000) and 9,644 employees.