Solvay announces today that it will build a large-scale alkoxylation facility in Singapore which is expected to start operations by 2015.

The facility will be connected to Shell's new High Purity Ethylene Oxide (HPEO) unit located in the world-class, integrated petrochemical hub of Jurong Island. Through the alkoxylation process key monomers are produced that serve downstream surfactant development and manufacturing.

The investment comes after Solvay last week announced that it would build a specialty surfactant plant near Berlin, serving the Central and Eastern European markets.

Solvay Novecare is already Asia's largest specialty surfactant manufacturer with 11 production sites and two R&D centers in Singapore and Shanghai. The new plant will produce specialty alkoxylate surfactants which deliver targeted cleansing, dispersing, defoaming and emulsifying performance attributes in formulations.

The "on pipe" facility will be supplied by an ethylene oxide (EO) pipe from Shell to feed the alkoxylation activities, highlighting both Solvay Novecare's long-term commitment to sustainable production and growing demand from its end markets.