In a move aimed at meeting rising regional demand for low VOC pigments that comply with eco-labeling schemes like blue angel, Swiss specialty chemicals producer Clariant (Muttenz; www.clariant.com) announced 23 April a CHF 8m (EUR 6.5m) investment in China, Indonesia and India. The project includes doubling the group’s marketing and sales organisations in all three countries.

Part of the money is to go towards a new pigment preparations plant in Tangerang / Indonesia. Once commissioned in September this year, the facility will double existing output. Clariant did not specify the plant’s existing nameplate capacity.

In addition, the company is finalising a feasibility study to raise capacity by 50% at its Azo pigments and pigment preparations plants in Roha / India, where it also is raising development capacities to be able to respond faster to requests for product development geared towards the local market.

Elsewhere in Asia, Clariant said it would expand development capabilities at its sites in Shanghai and DaGang / China. At the former location, the company also intends to strengthen its technical service capacities by doubling the number of technical professionals at its STAR application laboratory.

The company reported an operating profit (EBITDA) of CHF 802m (EUR 652m) in 2012, a year-on-year fall in Swiss francs of 4% – see Plasteurope.com of 18.02.2013. However, a regional look at the results showed that the weakness in its European pigments business was largely compensated by the performance of other regions, including Asia. It should therefore come as no surprise that Marco Cenisio, senior vice president and general manager of Clariant’s Pigments business unit, commented on the latest investment by saying that, “We expect to make further announcements regarding our additional plans for the region soon.”