AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals has broken ground on a project to expand production capacity and upgrade its organic peroxides facility in Mahad, Maharashtra. Organic peroxides are essential for the manufacture of a wide range of polymer-based products including athletic shoe soles, wind turbines and PVC pipes used in the construction industry.

According to the company, the €4 million investment will increase capacity by 80 per cent and will provide a platform to meet growing demand from customers in India and the Middle East. In addition, a new waste water management system will make the process more environmentally sustainable. The expansion is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.

“This is the latest in a series of organic peroxide investments to better serve our customers by upgrading technologies and increasing production capacity,” says Johan Landfors, Member of the Executive Committee responsible for Polymer Chemicals. “This expansion will allow us to build on our strong presence in numerous organic peroxide market segments, particularly in PVC, acrylics and thermoset resins.”

Over the last three years, the polymer chemistry business has invested more than €100 million to better serve its customers in the polymer industry, upgrading technologies, increasing capacity, and repositioning its global manufacturing footprint at sites in Mexico, the Netherlands, Belgium, China, Italy, Brazil, and the US.

Werner Fuhrmann, CEO of AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals, added that the latest project also demonstrates the company’s commitment to the Indian market and supports the country’s efforts to strengthen its manufacturing sector through increased investment from global organisations. The company is also investing in a monochloroacetic acid project in a joint arrangement with Atul in Gujarat, due to start production in 2019.