AlzChem completes nitrile expansion

AlzChem, the only supplier of speciality nitriles outside China, has completed a €12 million expansion that took 15 months and will increase capacity by 50%. This is particularly targeted at the pharmaceutical and agrochemical markets and is expected to lead to additional sales of €10-20 million/year, depending on the product mix.

CEO Andreas Niedermaier commented that business has been very strong since AlzChem commissioned a plant for highly pure and corrosive dichloronitriles in 2019, in part because many pharmaceutical manufacturers “are aligning their supply chains to be more European and more secure”. Applications for nitriles here include starting materials for cardiovascular and HIV treatments.

Nitriles are also used in biocides, environmentally friendly pigments and UV absorbers in sunscreens, which are also growing. “At the same time, from our point of view, not all possible applications have been tapped by any means. We will see even more interesting areas of application and innovations here in the future,” Niedermaier said.