AgroPages-Bayer plans chemicals facility for Liberty herbicide in US-Agricultural news

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Bayer CropScience expanses production capacity of Liberty® herbicide in US

Bayer CropScience has announced plans for the construction of two chemical manufacturing units in the Mobile area. The units will produce precursor materials for use in the production of Liberty® herbicide (glufosinate-ammonium), a key component in Bayer’s innovative LibertyLink® weed management technology.

Construction of the two production units will take approximately two years to complete, with the start-up of production beginning in mid-2017. The new units together will employ approximately 50 people once production begins.

The project will be a joint effort between Bayer CropScience and Evonik Industries, with the production to be situated at the Evonik manufacturing facility in the Theodore Industrial Park in Mobile County. Evonik will take responsibility for constructing one of the units and Bayer the other, with the resulting intermediate from the combined manufacturing being used in the production of Liberty. The project represents an overall investment at the site of more than $200 million.

Michael van Nooy, Head of Global Active Ingredient Operations for Bayer CropScience, said that Bayer looks forward to the cooperative effort with Evonik in bringing the project to fruition. "Combining the expertise, resources and experience that both companies possess allows us to achieve our objective in the most timely, efficient and cost-effective, as well as safest, manner possible."

Globally, Bayer is in the process of doubling its Liberty herbicide production capacity.

"We’ve been working with Bayer CropScience successfully for years, and it has developed into a reliable partnership. This is without a doubt also a reason for choosing this site," explained Caspar Gammelin, Head of Evonik´s Performance Materials segment, adding, "The new investment in Mobile allows us to continue supporting and accompanying the growth course we’ve experienced in recent years with Bayer CropScience."