Evonik builds new Biolys® facility in Brazil

Evonik has begun work on a facility for the biotech production of Biolys® in the Brazilian town of Castro. The plant will be erected at an industrial complex owned by Cargill, the US-based company with which Evonik is already running a cooperative manufacturing operation for Biolys® (a source of L-lysine) in Blair, Nebraska. The project for the new Biolys® plant was officially launched at a ceremony held in Curitiba, the capital of the state of Paraná, on October 22 and attended by State Governor Beto Richa, other government representatives and Evonik customers, partners and employees. Biolys® is a highly effective source of the amino acid L-lysine and is used as a feed additive in modern animal nutrition.

Patrik Wohlhauser, member of the Evonik Executive Board and in charge of the South America Region, said, "For Evonik, biotechnology that we’re using to manufacture Biolys® here in Brazil offers interesting opportunities both for future profitable growth in a wide spectrum of business fields and for a keener focus on sustainable development within the scope of our growth strategy. The Health & Nutrition Business Unit alone is aiming, in the medium term, to generate revenue to the tune of a billion euros on the back of products manufactured using biotechnology." Evonik has earmarked 350 million euros worth of funds for investment into the expansion of business with the fermentatively manufactured feed amino acid Biolys®. Those investments include the construction of this new plant for L-lysine in Brazil as well as one in Russia, creating a total capacity for the manufacture of nearly 200,000 metric tons p.a., and the expansion of production capacities in Blair to 280,000 metric tons p.a., a project Evonik is just completing.

The Castro site was selected because of its excellent access to raw material supplies, outstanding logistical connections, and closeness to local markets. "We’ve seen rising demand for Biolys® in Latin America, and particularly in Brazil, for a number of years now," said Dr. Reiner Beste, head of Evonik’s Health & Nutrition Business Unit, about the project. "By investing locally, we’re moving closer to customers, strengthening our position in these important Biolys® markets, and laying the foundation for further growth in the area of feed amino acids."

"Our products are not just essential feed additives, they’re a nutritional concept that allows for optimal animal feeding with the best possible use of protein plants and grains," notes Beste. "This is our contribution towards sustainably meeting the growing demand for meat, dairy, eggs, and fish. The rising demand for our amino acids shows that we’re on the right track."

Evonik is the only company worldwide to produce and market all four essential amino acids for modern animal nutrition, including MetAMINO® (DL-methionine), Biolys® (source of L-lysine), ThreAMINO® (L-threonine), and TrypAMINO® (L-tryptophan). The Group provides innovative services and products in over 100 countries.