Umicore announced the construction of a production facility in Nowa Ruda, Poland, for emission control catalysts used in cars and trucks. The investment will allow Umicore to meet the growth in demand for automotive catalysts from its customers in Europe. This growth is driven mainly by the recent introduction of new emission legislation in the European Union.

The facility, which will be Umicore's first industrial operation in Poland, complements Umicore's existing European automotive catalyst production capabilities in Germany, France and Sweden. The plant will provide catalyst systems for both light duty and heavy duty vehicles and will be equipped with the newest generation equipment comprising two production lines and all peripheral installations and assets for logistics, quality assurance and analytical inspection of products. Umicore will also incorporate measures to minimize energy use and CO2 emissions at the plant.

The investment amounts to approximately € 40 million and will initially create over 80 new jobs. Construction of the plant will start in July 2014 and completion is planned for the beginning of 2016.

Franz-Josef Kron Senior Vice President Operations of Umicore's Automotive Catalysts business unit commented: "This investment demonstrates our commitment to serve our customers in the European automotive industry. The decision to invest in Nowa Ruda is the result of excellent cooperation with the local special economic zone and authorities as well as with the Polish government. We are proud that Umicore's investment will contribute to the economic development of the region".