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World's largest polypropylene production in NRW

©Chemiepark Knapsack

©Chemiepark Knapsack

With production capacity of more than 200 kilotons of polypropylene per year, the compounding plant at the Knapsack site is the only one of its kind in the world. In order to meet the increasing demand for specialty plastics, LyondellBasell has added a fifth line to its production facility, making it the largest plant in the world.

The plastic granulate is used mainly in the automotive industry: In recent years, PP compounds have made a significant contribution to safety, design freedom and performance in automotive engineering," says Frank Noeltgen, Senior Director APS (advanced polymer solutions) Business Europe. The higher plastic content per car ensures a lower vehicle weight, higher fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions. Polypropylene is also in demand in the growing market for electric vehicles, for both batteries and engine compartment applications.

The production expansion of LyondellBasell has created twelve new jobs at the Knapsack site, bringing the total number of employees to around 180. With 30 companies in production, research and services, the chemical park has been an important employer for the region for over 100 years.