LANXESS, the world's biggest manufacturer of synthetic rubber, broke ground for the construction of its new butyl rubber plant in Singapore. The facility on Jurong Island is designed for a capacity of 100,000 metric tons per year and requirea an investment of up to 400 million euros (USD 575 million). Between 10 and 15 percent of the total investment for the plant, the most modern of its kind in Asia, will go into environmental protection measures. With the help of pioneering technology, the manufacturing process will require significantly less steam, thus lowering the plant's overall energy consumption.

Through this new butyl rubber plant, LANXESS will be able to meet the rising demand for butyl rubber in tires, driven by the mobility trend, which is developing particularly among the growing middle classes in China and India. "In terms of volume, this investment is the largest in our five-year history," said LANXESS CEO Axel C. Heitmann. "It underlines our commitment to synthetic rubber as well as to our customers and to the future growth markets in Asia."