IN BRIEF
Albemarle to keep Catalysts Following a year-long review in which it evaluated alternative options , and conducted due diligence with several parties , Albemarle has chosen to retain its Catalysts business . This will remain a wholly owned subsidiary with a different name , yet to be announced , because of the business ’ s different dynamics to the other operations . The process should take about 18 months .
Prime deal Brenntag has acquired Prime Surfactants , a distributor of speciality surfactants for personal care , HI & I and other industries in the UK . These include a range of sustainable products characterised by RSPO certification and other means . Based in Leeds , Prime Surfactants turned over about £ 22 million in the 2022 financial year .
Ampac Fine Chemicals has added a complex molecule chemistry and engineering centre at its main site in Rancho Cordova , California . “ This expands upon our core technologies such as energetic chemistry , high potency , chromatography and continuous processing ”, said Dr John Jacobsen , executive director of R & D . Designed to address the demand for more complex syntheses , which often rely on multi-step telescoped transformations , this supports the development of such complex molecules as custom phosphoramidites , UV-sensitive compounds and pegylated substrates , from grams to kilos . It also has analytical testing capabilities .
Evotec buys Central Glass Germany
Evotec has bought the German manufacturing operations of Japan ’ s Central Glass for a nominal € 1 . The deal is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close on 1 November . The business will be renamed Evotec Drug Substance ( Germany ). The deal brings Evotec a cGMP-certified pharmaceutical manufacturing campus in Halle with about 5,000 m 2 of floor space and some 60 employees . According to Evotec this enhances its strategy of “ pursuing integrated discovery and development of new medicines that matter ”, notably in precision medicines and rare diseases . The firm added that it intends to “ invest meaningfully ” to make Halle a centre of excellence for rare disease drug substance manufacturing .
Clariant quats exit Clariant is to sell its quaternary ammonium compounds business to Global Amines Company , its 50-50 joint venture with Wilmar for $ 113 million in a deal that should close in 1H 2023 . The business comprises sites in Germany , Indonesia and Brazil making quats for uses in preservatives , surfactants and antistatic agents . Tolling agreements will continue where needed .
Heraeus catalyst deal Heraeus Precious Metals has formed a partnership with South African metals supplier Sibanye- Stillwater to develop novel catalysts with reduced iridium loadings for use as proton exchange membrane electrolysers in the development of green hydrogen , among other things . They will fund the project in equal shares over three years and cooperate on marketing when the catalysts are commercialised .
Siegfried breaks ground
Siegfried has held a groundbreaking ceremony for the largest construction project in its history . The Swiss CDMO will be investing up to CHF 100 million on a large-scale production facility at Minden , Germany . This will have up to 100 m 3 of additional reactor capacity for API production when it is commissioned in 2024 . In addition , the firm said , the new facility will “ significantly expand the technological possibilities and flexibility of Siegfried ’ s global network ”. Siegfried acquired Minden from BASF in 2015 , along with other API facilities at Evionnaz in Switzerland and Saint-Vulbas in France . Along with another German site at Hameln , it employs around 1,000 and makes a wide range of APIs and other medicinal products .
12 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981