AkzoNobel has completed the first phase of the €2.5 million expansion of its performance coatings plant in Cikarang, Indonesia. The Dutch company said the expansion will increase capacity at the facility by 40% and help meet the fast-growing domestic demand, driven by the petrochemical and energy sectors, for its International-brand marine and protective coatings products.

Present in Indonesia since 1971, AkzoNobel now claims to be the country’s largest paints and coatings producer with three manufacturing sites supplying both decorative and performance coatings and more than 1,000 employees.

Speaking at the plant’s inauguration ceremony, Mauricio Bannwart, managing director of the Protective Coatings business, said the investment is a testament to the coatings manufacturer’s commitment to Indonesia, which continues to improve its position as an emerging market.

The state-of -the-art automated equipment installed at Cikarang will significantly improve product quality, safety and sustainability standards, Bannwart said.

Oscar Wezenbeek, managing director of AkzoNobel's Marine Coatings business, said Indonesia with its 54,720 km coastline offers the opportunity to build a robust shipbuilding industry.