French chemicals firm Arkema to invest Rs 100 cr in resins facility in India

French specialty chemicals major Arkema plans to invest $ 15 million (approximately Rs 100 crore) for setting up a new polyester powder resin manufacturing facility, the first of its kind in India, on its existing resin platform in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra.

The project, targeted for completion in 2018, includes a new manufacturing unit and a dedicated new laboratory to provide both application development and technical support. The new facility will support customers in the fast growing powder coating market.

“Offering increasingly environmental-friendly solutions with low-VOC (volatile organic compound) content, resins for powder coatings is an important and growing part of our product portfolio. This new facility will complement our existing manufacturing sites in Europe and North America, and underpins our commitment to meet our customers’ needs wherever they operate around the world,” said Richard Jenkins, global group president for the coating resins business, Arkema.

The new facility will produce polyester powder resins marketed under the Reafree trade name. The principal use for polyester powder coatings includes a wide range of industrial coatings along with automotive and architectural applications.

This investment supports Arkema’s ambition to expanding its geographical coverage of its environmentally friendly, low-VOC coating resins portfolio, including powder resins, waterborne resins, UV photocure and high solid solutions, as well as high performance coating additives.

Arkema’s manufacturing site in Navi Mumbai also produces alkyd, acrylic solutions and oil-free polyester resins, as well as reactive polyamide resins. The investment in upgrading the capabilities of its Indian production facility is part of the ongoing commitment of the group to remain a leading and global supplier to the coating industry while at the same time providing customers with all of the benefits of cutting edge technology, locally manufactured with strong technical support.

Arkema, which recorded annual sales of Euro 7.7 billion in 2015, is one of the leading global suppliers of high-performance materials, industrial specialties and coating solutions. With research centres in North America, France and Asia, the company concentrates on advances in bio-based products, new energies, water management, electronic solutions, lightweight materials and design, home efficiency and insulation.