Moving forward, the company's amino acids and specialty nutrition businesses will operate separately and according to different models, in line with their respective requirements and market conditions.

Additionally, Evonik is optimising the production setup for the manufacturing of MetAMINO^® (DL-methionine) at its three world-scale production hubs and improving the ecological footprint.

These measures to adjust operating models and optimise production will result in an annual cost savings of €200 million (US$218 million) with initial savings being realised in the current fiscal year. The full amount will be reached in the 2025 fiscal year. This will also include a reduction of around 200 jobs worldwide. The exact details are still being determined.

"We are systematically implementing a plan that will develop our Animal Nutrition business, so it continues to grow and succeed in our markets," said Johann-Caspar Gammelin, president of Evonik's Nutrition & Care division.

The strengthened competitiveness of Animal Nutrition will secure its role as strong and important cash generator for Evonik, the company said. The business will be run in two distinct operating models: one for its amino acids and one for its specialty nutrition business.

The market environment for amino acids is characterised by unchanged strong growth and an attractive sustainability profile but it is also challenged by rising raw material and energy costs. By streamlining the amino acids business organisation, Evonik is targeting a streamlined operating model focused on efficiency and cost-leadership,it said. This go-to-market approach will be characterised by a lean sales organisation with strong digital competence and processes to benefit the customer.

The specialty nutrition business with functional feed additives and digital tools will be developed into a business with system solutions and specialties for poultry, swine and ruminants.

"By transforming our operating models and by executing our global asset strategy at our three world-scale MetAMINO^® production hubs, we will secure our competitiveness in the short term and our leading position in animal nutrition and animal health solutions in the long term," said Dr. Gaetano Blanda, head of the Animal Nutrition business line.

In the amino acids business, Evonik's investments are focused on optimising the production setup for the manufacturing of MetAMINO^® and improving the ecological footprint at its three production hubs on three continents.

In the United States, a new plant for the production of MetAMINO^® precursor, methyl mercaptan, is currently being built at the methionine hub in Mobile, Alabama. This will further strengthen Evonik's ability to offer reliable and cost-optimised supply. Additionally, it will reduce the carbon footprint of MetAMINO^® from the site by approximately seven percent.

In Singapore, Evonik is investing in process optimisation. This will result in an improved cost position and an annual capacity expansion of 40,000 tonnes, leading to a total of close to 340,000 tonnes per year. It will also lead to a 6% reduction of the site's methionine production carbon footprint.

Additionally, in 2022, Evonik further developed and expanded the production facility for methylmercapto-propionaldehyde (MMP) in Wesseling, Germany, reinforcing the European methionine hub in Antwerp, Belgium.