Demand for new technology drives multi-million AkzoNobel expansion
AkzoNobel is to boost capacity at one of its US sites in order to meet
increasing demand from the semi-conductor industry, particularly for the
production of light emitting diodes (LEDs). Financial details were not
disclosed.
The investment - at the company's Battleground facility in Texas - involves
extending the Tri-Methyl-Aluminum (TMAL) unit and building a new Tri-Methyl-
Gallium (TMG) plant - consolidating the plant's status as the largest of its
kind in the world. TMAL is a feedstock for TMG, a high purity metal organic
(HPMO) used in products such as LED wafer manufacturing.
"The LED industry has been experiencing strong growth, well in excess of 20
percent per annum," explained Werner Fuhrmann, AkzoNobel's Executive Committee
Member responsible for Specialty Chemicals. "This investment will make
production more cost-efficient and ensure that we continue supplying our
customers with a highly specialized product which is playing an increasingly
important role in 21(st) century technology."
The global LED industry is projected to grow significantly over the next decade,
driven by applications in displays such as PCs, laptops and tablet screens. The
massive increase in the use of LEDs for general lighting is also expected to
contribute strongly as they become the preferred source of light over
incandescent bulbs and compact fluorescent lamps, due to their low energy
consumption and extended lifetime.
The expanded TMAL unit is expected to be completed in the third quarter of
2013, while the new TMG plant will be ready in August 2014.
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AkzoNobel is the largest global paints and coatings company and a major producer
of specialty chemicals. We supply industries and consumers worldwide with
innovative products and are passionate about developing sustainable answers for
our customers. Our portfolio includes well known brands such as Dulux, Sikkens,
International and Eka. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, we are
consistently ranked as one of the leaders in the area of sustainability. With
operations in more than 80 countries, our 55,000 people around the world are
committed to excellence and delivering Tomorrow's Answers Today(TM).
Not for publication - for more information
Corporate Media Relations,
Contact: Tim van der Zanden
tel. +31 20 502 7833
Corporate Investor Relations,
Contact: Jonathan Atack
tel. +31 20 502 7854
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Source: Akzo Nobel NV via Thomson Reuters ONE
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