Production starts at Evonik's Shanghai facility

German industrial group Evonik yesterday began operating its 2.5-billion-yuan specialty chemicals facility in Shanghai in a bid to tap growing domestic demand.

The facility can produce annually 100,000 tons of methyl methacrylate (MMA), the derivatives of which are used mainly for LCD screens, and in the construction and automotive industries.

The facility, which is also the company's second largest investment ever in the chemicals business, shows Evonik "is continuing to focus on what will be the largest and fastest growing market in the world", said Klaus Engel, chairman of the executive board of Evonik Industries AG.