U.S. expansion of L-lysine capacity completed

• Annual capacity of 280,000 metric tons for L-lysine in Blair, Nebraska
• New level of efficiency for production of feed amino acid L-lysine
• Important contribution to healthy, sustainable nutrition for pigs and poultry

Evonik Industries successfully completed its expansion of capacity for the feed amino acid L-lysine in North America in autumn 2012. Production capacity at the Blair site in Nebraska, U.S.A., was doubled to 280,000 metric tons per year in two stages. The biotechnology product L-lysine, which Evonik markets under the Biolys^® brand name, is considered worldwide to be an extremely effective source of lysine in animal feed.

“After a very short ramp-up time, the facility is now running at almost full capacity and more efficiently than ever,” said Dr. Reiner Beste, head of Evonik’s Health & Nutrition Business Unit. “This enables us to make an important contribution to meeting the growing demand for Biolys^® in the United States and facilitate need-based, healthy, cost-effective nutrition of pigs and poultry.”

The expansion was celebrated in Blair on December 6 with all of the site’s employees, the project team, and Evonik’s partner Cargill, which provides the site infrastructure and supplies Evonik with raw materials. Evonik was represented by Patrik Wohlhauser from the Executive Board and Dr. Reiner Beste. The Cargill representative attending the event was Alan Willits, Corn Milling President. The project was supported by the U.S. State of Nebraska and the City of Blair.

“Evonik is also working to further expand capacity by around 200,000 annual metric tons of Biolys^® in Brazil and together with partners in Russia. Both of these facilities are scheduled to go on stream in 2014. Work at these sites is progressing as planned,” explained Dr. Walter Pfefferle, head of Evonik’s Bioproducts Business Line.

Biolys^®, a biotechnology product made from renewable resources, is globally known as a highly effective source of L-lysine for animal feed, which helps to sustainably reduce cost in feed production and animal breeding. It also benefits the environment: In a life-cycle analysis certified by TÜV Rhineland, Evonik has documented that protein supply in animal feed that is supplemented by Biolys^® is a particularly environmentally sound concept for the adequate, healthy nutrition of animals.

Evonik is the only company in the world to produce and market the four most important amino acids for advanced animal nutrition: Biolys^® (L-lysine), MetAMINO^® (DL-methionine), ThreAMINO^® (L-threonine), and TrypAMINO^® (L-tryptophan). The Group provides these products in combination with state-of-the-art analysis, technology, and nutrition services, making a major contribution to its customers’ cost efficiency as well as to healthy, environmentally friendly animal nutrition.