Rain Carbon Begins Commissioning Process at New Hydrogenated Hydrocarbon Resins Facility in Germany

Rain Carbon Inc. initiated the phased start-up of its hydrogenated hydrocarbon resins production facility in Castrop- Rauxel, Germany.

Once operational in the fourth quarter of 2019, the plant will have a permitted resins production capacity of up to 50,000 tons per year and will serve as the cornerstone of Rain Carbon’s Advanced Materials product segment.

“Throughout the history of our company, innovation and ingenuity have enabled us to produce carbon-based raw materials that make countless products that people rely on every day possible,” Rain Carbon President Gerry Sweeney said during the commissioning ceremony. “…[W]e are continuing a tradition that began here in 1898 when the former RÜTGERS plant was producing raw materials for preserving railroad ties and later when it supported the growing BAKELITE industry. Our €60 million investment in this facility will enable Rain Carbon to produce advanced raw materials required to meet changing regulatory requirements and growing consumer demand for cleaner, faster and lighter products.

“Building on the spirit of innovation that has been part of the DNA here for the past 120 years, one of the products that will be manufactured in Castrop-Rauxel is our new NOVARES pure resins,” Sweeney continued. “These ‘water-white’ resins will match the purity of any competing products available, and they will provide customers with a cleaner alternative for such applications as food packaging and hygiene products. Innovation can also be seen in our proprietary technology for resins production and the environmentally friendly hydrogen plant constructed by Messer Group.

Thirty new positions, along with another 45 contractor and regional jobs, have been created, according to Sweeney.