Lanxess said the plant, with an annual capacity of 35,000 metric tons and around 200 employees, will manufacture products for industrial water treatment for the semi-conductor and pharmaceutical industries, the food sector and the power industry.
The opening marked the successful completion of the second expansion phase in Jhagadia. The first project phase, which was completed in March this year, saw a rubber chemicals production plant taken into operation.
Once the new facilities for high-tech plastics production have been completed, Lanxess will have invested a total of around €60m in Jhagadia.
Jhagadia is thus the second largest production site in India after Nagda in the Madhya Pradesh region.
At Nagda, where Lanxess’ future competence center for chlorination and flavorings will be located, the Basic Chemicals business unit with its 300 or so employees produces specialty chemicals for the agrochemical industry, pharmaceutical and coating sectors and fragrance and flavoring industries.
Lanxess chairman of the Board of Management Axel Heitmann said demand for clean water in Asia in particular, and in India especially, will grow disproportionately due to rapid population growth and increasing urbanisation.