October 23, 2012
Evonik invests US$457 million in Biolys business expansion
Evonik confirms plans on investing around EUR350 million (US$457 million) by 2014 to expand its business in Biolys which is a source of L-lysine produced via fermentation.
Investments include construction of new L-lysine plants in Brazil and Russia capable of producing nearly 200,000 tonnes each year as well as a recently finished production expansion to 280,000 tonnes per year at its Blair site in North America.
The nexus of biotech research at Evonikis the company''s Halle-K？？nsebeck site in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, the site is home to experts who are continuing to develop amino acids for modern animal nutrition, as well as biotech methods for other of its business units.
A small research group called Biotechnology was established in Halle-K？？nsebeck in 1982 with the aim of producing L-lysine via fermentation. Today, biotech activities at this Evonik site (part of the Health & Nutrition Business Unit) include, among others, developing and optimising biotech production methods for the following amino acids used in animal nutrition: Biolys (a source of L-lysine), ThreAmino (L-threonine) and TrypAmino (L-tryptophan).
"Biotech opens up interesting opportunities for profitable growth in a range of business areas," says Patrik Wohlhauser, a member of the Executive Board. "It''s also giving Evonik''s growth strategy a stronger focus on sustainable development. In the Health & Nutrition Business Unit alone we are hoping for sales of EUR1 billion (US$1.3 billion) over the medium term for products made using biotechnology."