Vinnolit, a Westlake company, plans to expand the chlorine and VCM capacity at its Gendorf site. In the expansion, the latest, particularly energy-efficient ThyssenKrupp Uhde single-element chlorine membrane technology will be used. At the same time, the VCM capacity using Vinnolit's proprietary technology will be expanded in two steps through 2021. 

Vinnolit and its site partner InfraServGendorf are investing in the expansion and the necessary site infrastructure to further modernize the Gendorf site. "With the expansion, we are strengthening our value chain in the Bavarian Chemical Triangle. An investment in the future - with environmentally-friendly state-of-the-art technology," says Dr. Karl-Martin Schellerer, Managing Director, Vinnolit.  "This strengthens our competitiveness and is also a strong signal of our parent company Westlake Chemical for growth in Europe."

Vinnolit produces the PVC intermediates chlorine and vinyl chloride monomer at the sites in Gendorf and Knapsack and also supplies the neighboring production facilities in Burghausen and Cologne. With the expansion in Gendorf, the company aims to balance regional capacities better and reduce VCM transports. "Our customers directly benefit from the capacity increase of the co-product caustic soda," says Dr. Karl-Martin Schellerer.