GERMANY - Kuraray to Expand PVA Production in Frankfurt

Kuraray announced it is increasing production capacity for polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) at its subsidiary Kuraray Europe GmbH in the Höchst Industrial Park in Frankfurt, Germany. The company expects construction of a sixth production line will raise capacity from 70,000 tons p.a. to 94,000 tons p.a. by 2013. It also intends to increase the energy efficiency of production by optimizing process technology. Total investment will be approximately $43 million (58 million EUR).

“The investment is a key milestone in the ongoing development of our company,” says Dr. Matthias Gutweiler, managing director of Kuraray Europe GmbH and head of the PVA/PVB division. “It will protect jobs, strengthen our position in the value chain and speed up our growth in Europe.”