Germany's Evonik completes acquisition of hydrogen peroxide business in Ontario from Kemira

ESSEN, Germany, Dec. 1, 2011 (Press Release) - Essen, Germany-based Evonik Industries has closed the deal to take over the hydrogen peroxide business from Kemira Chemicals Canada Inc. effective to December 1, 2011. The transaction covers the Maitland (Ontario) production plant plus the seller's customer portfolio, with the Canadian employees also being transferred to Evonik.

"This transaction sees us taking another step in our global growth strategy for hydrogen peroxide," explained Jan Van den Bergh, Head of Advanced Intermediates, the business unit in charge of the hydrogen peroxide business at Evonik. "Our growth strategy is based on new technologies, as is exemplified by our deal in Jilin, China, where we will be supplying H2O2 to a plant specializing in the chemical direct synthesis of propylene oxide, and by targeted acquisitions like this one in Canada," added Van den Bergh. Production operations in Maitland will serve primarily to provide supplies of H2O2, an eco-friendly oxidation agent, to the North American cellulose and paper industry.

This new acquisition puts Evonik among the market leaders of hydrogen peroxide suppliers to the North American market (Canada and the U.S.). The takeover enables Evonik to increase its capacities for H2O2 production in North America by 44,000 metric tons to more than 200,000 metric tons per annum. The Group already runs local H2O2 production sites in Gibbons (Alberta, Canada) and Mobile (Alabama, U.S.A.).