Belgium-based Umicore has announced plans to build an emission control catalysts plant in Hemaraj, Thailand.
The €20m plant will meet demand of automotive catalysts in the South East Asia region.
Completion of construction is scheduled to be completed in the second half of 2016.
The plant will be built in a special economic zone near Rayong, which is near the major automotive plants in the country.
Umicore will also serve Japanese customers through its Umicore Shokubai joint venture with Nippon Shokubai.
Umicore Automotive Catalysts SVP of sales and marketing and Umicore Shokubai Japan director Jörg von Roden said: “The new facility will further extend our ability to offer emission control solutions in the Asian markets and will complement the activities that we already have in China, Japan, South Korea and India.
“The investment also allows us to move further towards one of our strategic goals of expanding our offering to Japanese car producers around the world.”
According to the company, the demand of automotive catalysts is expected to rise with the growth in sales of passenger cars and light duty trucks in the country.
Source: http://www.chemicals-technology.com/news/newsumicore-build-automotive-catalyst-plant-thailand-4468952