Evonik is planning further large-scale projects in Germany. One of these is the construction of a new plant for production of specialty copolyesters in Witten by 2018 with an investment in the double-digit million euro range. As part of the global production initiative for specialty silicones, Evonik intends to invest in production for these products in Essen once again. A new silane research center is currently being built in Rheinfelden that is slated to be completed in 2016.
In Marl, Evonik’s largest site worldwide with a workforce of close to 7,000, a production facility for C4-based raw materials was completed in 2
015. In Essen, the company put a new manufacturing plant for polymeric dispersants into operation and expanded a plant in which specialty silicones are produced.
Many infrastructure projects were also completed at Evonik’s German sites in 2015. In Marl, a new canal bridge for rail transportation was inaugurated, a state-of-the-art warehouse for hazardous materials was opened, and a new coal conveyor was put into operation. For next year, Evonik is planning the start-up of a new gas and steam turbine plant in Marl. This new power plant will replace an old coal-fired unit and go a long way toward reducing greenhouse gases.
In Darmstadt, among other things, a new control center with a situation center for the Darmstadt/Weiterstadt and Worms sites was opened on the factory premises. In Wesseling, the plant entrance and gate system at the Bonn-Beuel section of the plant were rehabilitated, creating more space for waiting trucks and reducing the traffic backlog. There are plans to renovate the workshops and upgrade the fire protection equipment in 2016. The expansion of the central warehouse in Essen through the addition of 1,300 square meters of space is also expected to be finished next year.