March 7, 2006

Degussa lowers methionine output

Degussa has confirmed that it will lower its DL-methionine output due to unsatisfactory market conditions.

It has reduced its annual output of its new DL-methionine plant in Antwerp, Belgium from 150,000 tonnes to 120,000 tonnes. There is no company mention of how long the reduction will be implemented. 

The company said an older DL-methionine plant owned by Degussa has been taken out of service when the new plant started operation. The older plant has a capacity of 80,000 tonnes and is also in Antwerp. Degussa is currently modernising the older facility and having it on standby in case demand increases.

This makes the combined capacity of the Antwerp plants a total of 200,000 tonnes a year. The company said it is still working on raw material capacity and will soon be able to have full output if the market demands it.