Rhodia builds a bisphenol base in Zhenjiang

The French company's Rhodia Group invested in the construction of a bisphenol production base in Zhenjiang New District, Jiangsu Province, and formally laid the foundation on March 2. The first-phase investment of this project is 100 million euros, and the annual output of bisphenol will reach 12,000 tons. It is planned to start production in the first half of 2007. The investment will further consolidate Rhodia’s leading position in the bisphenol business through the construction of new catechol and hydroquinone plants.

According to reports, this investment project will enable Rhodia's global hydroquinone production base to extend from Europe and North America to Asia. As the leading producer of hydroquinone products, Rhodia adopts the most advanced hydroxylation technology currently available. The product range is applicable not only to catechol and hydroquinone in various fields, but also includes downstream derivatives such as fragrances. Lanthanide, ethyl vanillin, veratrol and monomethyl ether of hydroquinone. The new plant will provide great flexibility for Rhodia products, especially to adapt to the current market development trends.

Rhodia has technical expertise in the field of fine organic chemistry and is a leading producer of dihydroxybenzenes and their derivatives series, isocyanates, salicylates, and fluorinated products.