Evonik opens new biodiesel catalyst plant in Argentina

German chemical company Evonik has opened a new plant for manufacturing biodiesel-production catalysts in Argentina.

The new plant, which has a capacity to produce over 60,000 metric tons per year, is located on the same site where Terminal 6 operates a biodiesel facility in Argentina.

The facility will supply ready-to-use alkoxides for use as catalysts in biodiesel production from renewable raw materials primarily to the Argentine and Brazilian markets.

Evonik executive board member Patrik Wohlhauser said that the company is investing in Argentina, because it wants to take advantage of the opportunities for long-term success that the South American market has to offer.

"The investment is both a clear acknowledgment of our commitment in South America, as well as part of our strategy, which we hope will allow us to participate in the region’s growth," Wohlhauser added.

The facility is equipped with the new technology that involves directly reacting alcohol with sodium hydroxide to produce alkoxides.

Evonik Advanced Intermediates Business Unit president Jan Van den Bergh said that Evonik’s aim in building the plant in Puerto General San Martín in the Rosario Region — in the heart of Argentina’s biodiesel industry — is to supply its South American customers with locally produced, high-quality catalysts.

Evonik South America regional president Weber Ferreira Porto said that the new facility in Argentina will allow the company to strengthen its business, both globally and within the region.

"Our aim here is to participate in the development of the biodiesel market, which is forecast to experience positive growth over the medium term," Porto added.