By: ICN Bureau
Last updated : December 20, 2025 7:38 pm
The company expects to start up a part of Maleic Anhydride unit by the end of the calendar year, with start-up and stabilization of the rest of the units progressively during H1 of 2026
Thirumalai Chemicals Ltd. (TCL) subsidiary, TCL Specialities LLC, an operating company in West Virginia, US is moving to pre-commissioning & startup activities of its new manufacturing facility and is progressing to startup operations.
The facility will be involved in the manufacturing and sales of Maleic Anhydride (MAN), Malic Acid, Fumaric Acid, and downstream derivatives in the United States and other growing markets.
The company expects to start up a part of the Maleic Anhydride unit by the end of the calendar year, with startup and stabilization of the rest of the units progressively during H1 of 2026.
This facility has two major plants: Maleic Anhydride plant with a capacity of over 40,000 tons/yr (90 million lbs/yr plus) and a food ingredients plant of over 30,000 tons/yr (66 million lbs/yr) of Malic acid and Fumaric acid.
Maleic Anhydride (MAN) is used in high strength-low weight composites (for housing, automotive & transport, recreational, infrastructure, and energy), in water treatment materials, coatings, additives & lubes, high performance polymers, and spectrum of specialty & functional products. A new area is its use in biodegradable polymers for daily use applications - an area which promises dramatic demand growth for MAN.
From this facility TCL LLC will cater to MAN customers in the North-Eastern, Mid-West US and other regional markets, which are presently underserved.
The food ingredients plant will make and deliver essential ingredients (Malic acid and Fumaric acid) which are used in a large variety of snack foods, candies, beverages, preserves, food processing, and other key applications. These products are normally made in the human and animal body and are essential for converting food into energy.
This facility will initially cater to customers in North America and in the LATAM and EU markets. Only 25% of these essential food ingredients are presently produced in the United States; the rest is imported.
The sole feedstock for this facility is n-Butane. TCL LLC’s location in the heart of the Marcellus-Utica shale region is a significant advantage.
These two plants are based on TCL India's proprietary and patented technologies, with the benefits of low investment and a very high level of energy & cost efficiency, automation and safety. All products and intermediates are readily and fully biodegradable.
The current environment in the United States, strongly encouraging domestic manufacturing is of great support to this investment.