Germany’s Evonik and AzkoNobel of the Netherlands have broken ground to start construction of a new membrane electrolysis plant in Ibbenbüren. The two companies set up a 50:50 joint venture last June for the production of chlorine and potassium hydroxide solution at AkzoNobel’s site in Germany.

The facility is scheduled to go on stream by the fourth quarter of 2017. Annual nameplate capacity will be about 130,000 t of potassium hydroxide solution and around 82,000 t of chlorine.

Werner Fuhrmann, member of AkzoNobel’s executive committee responsible for specialty chemicals, said the plant would set a new production benchmark. He explained: “It will improve the ecological footprint of every ton of chlorine we produce in Ibbenbüren by 25 to 30 percent. This will result in less energy use and fewer CO₂ emissions, while there will also be clear benefits for the local chemical cluster.”

Under EU legislation, mercury-based chlorine and caustic production has to be discontinued by the end of 2017.