The Dow Chemical Company has increased its propylene glycol (PG) capacity by an additional 10 kilotons per annum (KTA) at its Stade, Germany plant. The increase is part of the second optimisation of this large-scale expansion realised in August 2010.
Bringing the total Stade PG site capacity up to 290 KTA, the 10 KTA capacity increase is part of the implementation of an energy and technology optimisation project and did not alter the PG production process or product offering. Pharmaceutical grade propylene glycol is used in a variety of specialty products including medications, flavours, food and beverages, cosmetics, personal care items and animal feed. Dow has continuously grown to become a world leader in PG manufacturing, with over 900 KTA and five global manufacturing facilities including the Stade plant, one of the world’s largest capacity plants. The company’s continued investments in PG have resulted in a new plant in Thailand, expected to start up in the first quarter of 2013.
