Minister-President Kris Peeters starts up Oleon’s new Bio-Propylene Glycol unit
Investment of 8.2 million euros in green chemicals: 70% less C02 emissions
Ertvelde, 28 June 2012. – Today the Flemish Minister-President Kris Peeters will officially inaugurate Oleon’s new Bio-Propylene Glycol production unit. This represents an investment of 8.2 million euros and makes use of unlimited available resources. Bio-Propylene Glycol reduces the C02 balance by 70%. With this investment in green chemistry, Oleon is strengthening the long-term position of Ertvelde as the leading oleochemicals factory in Europe. “Oleon does what other people only talk about”, says Chris Depreeuw, CEO of Oleon.
Oleon is one of the leading players in Europe in the area of green chemicals. The new Bio-PG unit converts glycerine into Bio-Propylene Glycol using the latest technology. The feedstock for this conversion, glycerine, is obtained as a by-product during the processing of animal fats and vegetable oils in the production of oleochemicals and biodiesel. The start-up of this Bio-PG unit was preceded by three years of development in cooperation with BASF. This represents an investment of 8.2 million euros mainly in the transformation of the former fatty alcohol plant.