Bayer joint venture inaugurates plant in Germany

LEVERKUSEN - Bayer MaterialScience starts operation of the new additional chemical plant for the production of a key component for the material Apec. Located in eastern Germany, the plant’s operator is the German-Japanese joint venture, Hi-Bis, where Bayer MaterialScience holds an interest. Hi-Bis doubled the production capacity in the chemical industry center of Bitterfeld to 10,000MT through the construction of the 50 million euro plant.

Hi-Bis produces a precursor for Apec known as special bisphenols. The company brought an initial facility for these materials on stream in 2004, which was also the first Japanese investment at all in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.

At the inauguration ceremony, Saxony-Anhalt State Premier Dr. Reiner Haseloff was one of the special guests. Speaking on behalf of Bayer MaterialScience, Dr. Rainer Rettig, Head of Sales for Europe and other regions, said that Apec sales continue to grow unabated well above the rate for the entire plastics market, which is roughly 5% annually. Apec is particularly well suited for articles with demanding requirements that must withstand high temperatures. Examples include the lenses of automotive headlights, housings for luminaires or hot air nozzles in hair dryers.

Bayer MaterialScience produces holds 10% stake in Hi-Bis, while the remaining shares are held by the Japanese conglomerate Mitsui & Co (35%) and its Honshu Chemical Industry subsidiary (55%). The Bayer Group maintains an important production site in Bitterfeld, which is also home to other companies from the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.