Evonik Catalysts invests in capacity expansion to support Activated Nickel Catalysts market  

Hanau, Germany. Evonik Catalysts is fully on track to expand its production capacities for activated nickel powder catalysts at its production sites in Hanau, Germany, and Dombivli near Mumbai, India. The company is responding to the growing demand for its precious metal-free powder hydrogenation catalysts from the pharmaceutical, agrochemical and sugar substitutes industries, thereby increasing supply security for the benefit of its customers.

The debottlenecking projects with a total invest of high single digit million Euros, are designed to increase Evonik's capacity by 25%, are on schedule and expected to be completed by a global network of multi-purpose production plants to boost efficiency, improve infrastructure, and further strengthen production capabilities. The new capacity is expected to be available to the market in second half of 2024.

“For decades, Evonik Catalysts has been at the forefront of activated nickel catalysts, making us the global market leader and technology leader in most of these products, ensuring customer proximity and supply reliability," says Sanjeev Taneja, Head of Business Line Catalysts. The investment will benefit both sites in Germany and India and is a clear commitment to Evonik Catalysts' customer-centric 'think global - act local' approach supporting the business line's growth trajectory.

"The investment will not only increase capacity, but also enable us to expand our portfolio to include a wider range of products with superior properties. This will enable our customers to carry out hydrogenation reactions with less quantities of catalyst while maintaining activity and even faster cycle times due to reduced settling times, thus significantly improving process efficiency," adds Bettina Munsch, Head of Evonik's Life Science & Performance Catalysts Product Line.

Supporting circular economy activated nickel catalysts consist solely of metal, basically nickel, and do not include an inert support such as alumina, silica, or carbon. This allows for a complete catalyst material reclamation.

Besides activated nickel catalyst powder, Evonik recently launched a new innovation - activated nickel foam for sustainable and efficient fixed bed continuous processes. The nickel foams are lightweight with a very large reactive surface. They have an extremely low pressure drop and less abrasion, as well as longer catalyst life and reduced maintenance costs in downstream equipment.