Lanxess to open Nd-PBR plant in Singapore

Singapore, Leverkusen - LANXESS will break ground for its new neodymium polybutadiene rubber (Nd-PBR) plant in Singapore on September 11 this year. The German specialty chemicals company plans to invest roughly EUR 200 million (about SGD 340 million) in a 140,000 metric tons per annum facility in Jurong Island Chemical Park. The facility will be the largest of its kind in the world and serve the growing market for “Green Tires”, especially in Asia. About 100 jobs will be created. The plant is expected to start up in the first half of 2015.

Engineering work has advanced considerably since June 2011, when the company announced it had selected Singapore as the site for the new plant.

“I am delighted to announce that it is now full steam ahead for the second largest investment project in our company’s history,” said LANXESS’ Chairman of the Board of Management, Axel C. Heitmann, at an event in Singapore to sign contracts with key suppliers.

At today’s event, Heitmann announced that LANXESS has signed contracts with key suppliers to its Nd-PBR plant. With these suppliers in place, the project execution phase can now start to set up the infrastructure for the construction of the plant.

Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore (Private) Limited (PCS) has agreed on a long-term supply of butadiene to LANXESS. Butadiene is the raw material LANXESS needs to produce Nd-PBR. PCS is building a new butadiene extraction unit and associated infrastructure necessary to supply the raw material. Both companies had signed a Memorandum of Understanding already in June last year regarding the supply.

Nd-PBR is used in the treads and sidewalls of “Green Tires”. It helps reduce the rolling resistance and increase the fuel efficiency of a tire. Nd-PBR is highly resistant to abrasion and plays a significant role in making tires more durable and safer.