Evonik to double its L-lysine capacities in the U.S.

• Growing demand for feed amino acid L-lysine
• Capacity expansion for L-lysine in Blair, Nebraska, advancing well
• First additional quantities expected in November 2011
• Excellent cooperation with site operator Cargill

In North America, Evonik Industries is doubling its capacities for producing the feed amino acid L-lysine. The two-phase expansion of the Blair, Nebraska, plant to an annual capacity of 280,000 metric tons is on track and is expected to be completed by August 2012, six months earlier than originally projected. Evonik uses biotechnology to produce the essential amino acids L-lysine, L-threonine, and L-tryptophan for animal feed.

"This investment further strengthens our significant market position in the feed additive business," said Klaus Engel, CEO of Evonik Industries. "We recently announced plans to construct a new plant for expanding our DL-methionine capacity to 580,000 metric tons a year, and doubling our L-lysine capacities will now add further growth to our biotechnology-manufactured amino acid L-lysine as well."

L-lysine, a biotechnology product, which Evonik markets under the brand name Biolys®, is globally known as an extremely effective source of lysine for animal feed, which helps to sustainably reduce cost in feed production. "We’ve seen rising demand for our L-lysine in the United States for the last few years and therefore decided to double our capacities," says Engel.

Evonik expects to bring the first additional quantities to the market in November 2011, when the first expansion phase, which includes doubling the evaporation capacities for product concentration, is complete. At the same time, Evonik has already started the second expansion phase, for which all permits were granted in June 2011. Thanks to effective protection measures that kept the water away from the plant, the flooding of the Missouri River in June and July 2011 did not affect the project schedule. "We have to give Cargill credit for that," notes Dr. Walter Pfefferle, head of the Bioproducts business line, although Evonik and the US Army Corps of Engineers provided active support for the protective measures as well. "Our collaboration with Cargill is excellent. We also have to thank Governor Dave Heinemann, who did everything possible to fight the flooding," says Pfefferle. Cargill provides the infrastructure at the site and supplies Evonik with locally manufactured over-the-fence source materials.

Evonik is the only company worldwide to produce and market all four essential amino acids that are used in modern animal nutrition: Biolys® (L-lysine), MetAMINO® (DL-methionine), ThreAMINO® (L-threonine) and TrypAMINO® (L-tryptophan). Evonik offers these products in combination with state-of-the-art services in analysis, technology, and nutrition, thereby making a significant contribution to customer cost-efficiency and healthy and environmentally friendly animal feed.