The new facility will be the company’s US research and development hub for new products used in a variety of applications, including home, personal and industrial cleaning, agrochemicals, energy, lubricants, mining and coatings.

Indorama acquired the IOD business activity from US chemical producer Huntsman at the beginning of 2020, and it is now one of the company’s three global segments, in addition to Fibers and Combined PET. Alastair Port, the segment’s president and COO, said the facility will be a “significant milestone on IVL’s ‘future ready’ roadmap” and will serve as a center of excellence for the development of new niche and sustainability product lines.

Extensive design and engineering of the research center will start in the coming months, the company said, with full occupation expected in early 2022. The premises are planned to be a hub for IOD research in the Americas, with links to sister facilities in Australia, India, and China.

The Woodlands unit will also support IVL’s Fibers and PET segments on various sustainability projects. The company, which bills itself as the world’s largest manufacturer of fully recyclable PET bottles, is currently investing $1.5 billion toward meeting its recycling and net zero emissions targets.

Author: Dede Williams, Freelance Journalist