Evonik announced that it has invested €25m in its plant in Wesseling, Germany in an attempt to develop and expand MMP production.

Evonik has invested €25 million developing and expanding its methylmercapto-propionaldehyde (MMP) production plant in Wesseling, Germany, in the latest move to strengthen its world-scale global methionine production network. MMP is integral in the production of DL-methionine which is used in animal feed to improve the performance of livestock farming. The precursors of this essential amino acid have been produced in Wesseling for more than 50 years.

Dr. Gaetano Blanda, head of Animal Nutrition business line, said: "With this investment, Evonik is strengthening the European methionine network to safeguard the long-term supply of MMP to our DL-methionine production hub in Antwerp, Belgium. The move underscores our commitment to serving and expanding the global DL-methionine market and secures the best possible supply security for our customers.”

The conversion and expansion of the plant in Wesseling has been made possible by the development of a new production process that will allow avoiding the storage of chemical intermediates, such as acrolein, at the site.

Commenting on the plant upgrade, Dr. Jan-Olaf Barth, head of the Essential Nutrition product line, said: “In Wesseling we have now developed a process that increases efficiency and, with Responsible Care in mind, further enhances safety at the site."