Covestro breaks ground for new aniline production plant

According to the company, Covestro is investing more than EUR 300 million. The new aniline plant is scheduled to be operational – depending on the volatile economic situation – in early 2025. This will create around 40 new jobs. The basic chemical aniline is an important starting material for many chemical products, including the rigid foam component MDI. The product is mainly used for the production of insulation materials for buildings and refrigeration equipment.

Increased energy efficiency

As Covestro communicates, the new plant will use state-of-the-art technologies that will help to significantly increase the energy efficiency of production in Antwerp. Currently, around 20 percent of the steam required on site is covered by using process heat generated during production. The remaining steam is generated using fossil resources. With the commissioning of the new plant, the share of steam generated from process heat is intended to double to 40 percent of local demand, and the use of fossil fuels will decline.