The company, which claims to be world’s larger producer of acetonitrile, said the intent is to improve supply to its European customer base and support the growth of some of the region’s most strategically important industry sectors.

Hans Casier, CEO of Ineos Nitriles, said the investment will bring back production capacity to Europe for this key product and, moreover, demonstrate the company’s commitment to underpin and reinforce its nitriles production platform at the Cologne site.

Principal applications for acetonitrile are in the healthcare and nutrition sectors. The Ineos subsidiary noted that the chemical is critical to production of pharmaceuticals such as those used to fight Covid-19 as well as being a key component in the products of the agrochemicals and bioscience sectors.

The new German facility will use new Ineos process technology, and the company said it aims to substantially improve the sustainability of its supply to customers and reduce the environmental impact of its production.

Author: Dede Williams, Freelance Journalist