Covestro opens a new production line in Meppen

Covestro has inaugurated a new production line for polyester resins at its Meppen site in response to rising demand across Europe. Coatings formulators are reformulating products to meet increasingly stringent regulatory requirements, while customers in packaging and industrial markets seek consistent quality, reliable supply and simpler supply chains.

The multi-year investment adds a reactor line and expands capacity by a double-digit number of kilotonnes. Built on Meppen’s established GMP-compliant manufacturing infrastructure, the line is designed to meet the needs of food-contact applications. Its reactor can process a broad range of chemistries, enabling Covestro to manufacture high-molecular-weight and standard polyester grades, alkyds and acrylic resins. These products serve can, coil and industrial coatings, as well as adhesives, and are marketed under the Uralac®, Uradil™, Hybrane™ and NeoRez® brands. The line can also produce intermediates for polyurethane dispersions.

The investment also includes upgrades to existing facilities: a new truck-filling system, a fully automated drum-filling line and a heat-recovery installation that captures process heat to improve energy efficiency. The total investment amounts to several million euros.

Alongside the site’s modernisation and capacity expansion, Covestro is recruiting for additional production, filling and shipping roles in Meppen to meet rising demand for products made there.

Dr. Andrea Maier-Richter, Head of the Coatings & Adhesives business entity at Covestro, said: “Customers rely on reliable supply and consistent quality. The new line in Meppen increases the availability of polyester resins and strengthens supply from Europe. The expansion also gives customers added flexibility to grow in demanding applications, where consistent product quality is essential and regulatory requirements are complex.”

Site Manager Dr. André Rittermeier added: "Meppen is a site with deep expertise and a proven track record. With the new line and the upgraded facilities, we are not just adding capacity, we are reinforcing the foundation that our customers rely on."

The investment reinforces Meppen’s position as a reliable, long-term supplier of speciality polyesters in Europe.

Covestro’s Meppen Site

Covestro has owned the Meppen site since 2021, when it acquired the plant as part of its purchase of Royal DSM’s Resins & Functional Materials business. The site has been operating since 1956. More than 100 employees, including apprentices, produce resins such as polyesters, alkyds, acrylates and polyurethane dispersions for customers in the paints, coatings and packaging industries.

Source: Covestro