Seqens Invests in Second IPA Plant
Seqens, a French provider of pharmaceutical synthesis and specialty ingredients, is planning to invest an undisclosed sum in a second isopropanol (IPA) production plant at Roussillon.
The additional unit will have a capacity of 50,000 t/y with start-up planned in 2021. The expansion, said Seqens, will raise its total IPA output by more than 70%.
As well as meeting growing demand for IPA, the investment will also enable the Lyon-based firm, formerly known as Novacap, to continue its downstream integration, allowing the ramp up of several downstream specialty products such as isopropyl acetate (IPAC) and diisopropyl ether (DIPE).
IPAC is used as a process solvent and to extract organic products. Key applications include the production of APIs, inks for food packaging and cosmetics actives. Seqens expanded IPAC capacity at Roussillon by 9,000 t/y in 2019.
Also a solvent, DIPE is used as an extractant in the pharmaceutical industry for manufacturing specific active ingredients. It also plays a key role in the manufacturing of numerous products such as coatings, resins, intermediates and high-purity phosphoric acid.
Seqens (as Novacap) announced on Dec. 19, 2018 that it was combining its contract development and manufacturing organization subsidiaries into a new entity. These subsidiaries were PCI Synthesis, PCAS, Uetikon and Proteus.
The company operates 24 manufacturing plants and three R&D centers across Europe, North America and Asia.
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