Covestro Expands Polyester Production for Coatings

Coating manufacturers are adapting their formulations to meet increasingly stringent regulatory requirements, while customers in the packaging and industrial sectors demand consistent quality, reliable availability, and simplified supply chains. Covestro’s multi-year investment project, now completed, adds another reactor line to the Meppen site and creates additional capacity in the double-digit kiloton range. The new line builds on the proven, GMP-compliant (Good Manufacturing Practice) production infrastructure at the Meppen site. GMP refers to adherence to defined processes and documentation to ensure consistently high product quality. As a result, the line meets the requirements for food-contact applications. The new reactor is designed for a broad spectrum of products, enabling Covestro to flexibly manufacture high-molecular-weight and standard polyester grades, alkyds, and acrylic resins. These product lines serve the can, coil, industrial coatings, and adhesives sectors and are marketed under the brand names Uralac, Uradil, Hybrane, and NeoRez. The new line can also be used to produce intermediates for polyurethane dispersions.

Increased Availability of Polyester Resins

The investment goes beyond the construction of a new production line. Existing facilities have also been modernized. As a result, the site now features a new truck-filling system, a fully automated drum-filling system, and a heat recovery system that improves energy efficiency by reusing process heat. In total, the investments amount to several million euros. Alongside the modernization and capacity expansion, the team at the site is also growing: Due to increased demand for the products manufactured in Meppen, several additional positions in production, filling, and shipping are currently being filled. Dr. Andrea Maier-Richter, Head of the Coatings & Adhesives business unit at Covestro, says: “Our customers rely on reliable delivery and consistent quality. With the new line in Meppen, we are increasing the availability of our polyester resins and strengthening supply from Europe. At the same time, the expansion provides our customers with the flexibility they need to grow in demanding applications where consistent product quality is critical and regulatory requirements are complex.”