The German specialty chemical producer said its methionine plants in Singapore, which came on stream in 2014 and 2019, were already the largest production complex for DL-methionine in the world, with output of 300,000 metric tons.
This latest “high double-digit million-euro” investment in the plant will allow it to reach target capacity by Q3 2024.
"The additional capacity of 40,000 metric tons is primarily intended to accompany the growth of our customers in Asia and continue to offer the highest product quality and security of supply," said Noel Kim, head of Region Asia for Evonik Animal Nutrition.
Carbon footprint
The planned process optimization measures will also improve the carbon footprint of the MetAMINO produced in Singapore, lowering it by about 6%, said the producer.
“We are taking another major step toward process efficiency and reducing our carbon footprint by implementing an electrolysis unit for green hydrogen supply and various energy integration measures,” explained Dr Jan-Olaf Barth, head of Evonik's essential nutrition product line.
The company has three methionine production hubs: in Singapore, Mobile, Alabama in the US and in Antwerp in Belgium.
A new plant for methyl mercaptan production is currently being built at the methionine hub in Mobile, which Evonik said will further strengthen its ability to offer dependable and cost-optimized supply while also reducing the carbon footprint of DL-methionine from this site, by about 7%.
In 2022, Evonik further developed and expanded the production facility for methylmercapto-propionaldehyde (MMP) in Wesseling in Germany, with the aim of reinforcing the European methionine hub in Antwerp.
