Companies on site in the Chemical Industrial Park Knapsack

Basell Polyofins produces plastic powder and plastic granulates for further industrial processing in two plants on the Knapsack site. This product group is, with the 400,000 tons produced annually, the largest in the Chemical Industrial Park Knapsack. Around 240,000 tons of this is polypropylene powder, which is then refined in the plant to high quality polypropylene granulates. These are then used to produce packaging, pipes and components for the construction and automobile industries.

A second mainstay is plastic granulates consisting of polyethylene, which are processed further by industry for plastic wraps, pipes, coatings and molded parts. Around 170 people work for Basell in Knapsack.

One of the most famous German logos, the Bayer-Cross, can also be seen in Knapsack. The company produces plant protection products and intermediates (circa 12,000tons annually) that are used in agriculture around the world.

Besides the active ingredients to combat fungal decay, weeds and insects, so-called “safeners” that improve the tolerance of useful plants in regard to the use of plant protection products are also a part of Bayer CropScience’s product-palette. Employees: circa 180.

Some 260 employees produce special chemicals for the Swiss concern Clariant in Knapsack. Six production plants manufacture Clariant’s (Germany) comprehensive range of products including halogen-free flame-retardants, phosphate-free detergent raw materials and runway deicer.

Clariant also carries out its own research and development in Knapsack. One of the newest successes: a new flame retardant that is being produced in Knapsack and made ready for marketing.

The CABB GmbH (LLC), a subsidiary of Clariant GmbH, established in 2003, took over the production of molochloraecetic acid from the parent company.

The product, which is produced in the world’s largest MMC production plant, is used in the manufacturing of special detergents, thickening agents, adhesives, crop protection substances, plastic stabilizers and pharmaceuticals.

The services offered by the Degussa bank, which is specialized in so-called “worksite banking”, are individually aligned to your site and site employees’ needs: The bank is always near your place of work.

The Degussa Bank has more then 110 locations in Germany and circa 380 employees help provide services for over 110,000 private customers. The bank became a subsidiary of the DIBA (Allgemeine Deutsche Direktbank) in July 2003, which belongs to the ING Concern, the sixth largest corporation in Europe.

The E.ON Energy from Waste Saarbrücken GmbH disposes of waste for local authorities and industrial plants in its four refuse handling plants in Germany. The refuse generated power is converted into electricity and district heating.

The company, located in the Chemical Industrial Park Knapsack, is, amongst others, jointly responsible for the operation of the refuse derived fuel power station Knapsack. 240,000 tons of refuse derived fuel will be utilized here annually. The power generated in the incineration process is delivered to the Chemical Industrial Park Knapsack as electricity and process steam. A total of 35 jobs have been created.

The Praxair Group is a part of the world wide operating “Fortune 500” company, Praxair Inc. headquartered in Danbury, Connecticut (USA). Praxair Inc. is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America as well as being one of the leading companies in the field world wide. After the takeover of the industrial gases businesses Air Liquide and Messer Griesheim in Germany, Praxair now operates an air separation plant as well as a filling works in Knapsack. Argon as well as a part of the oxygen and nitrogen are converted to a liquid and stored in tanks. The remaining oxygen and nitrogen is distributed throughout the region via a widely ramified pipeline system and made available to consumers. Further special gases, welding protective gases and medical gases are also a part of their product range.

Kube & Kubenz has been operating throughout Europe for over 80 years as a chemical logistics service provider specialized in the transportation of liquid materials, solids, and gases in tank wagons and containers. Clients include leading businesses in the chemical and petrochemical industry.

The company, led by Michael Kubenz, employs nearly 290 staff members in nine locations in Europe.  A team of fifteen at their location in Hürth has ensured the smooth operation of circa 120 consignments per week for the last five years. In doing so, the company utilizes the synergies of the chemical park: Kube & Kubenz carries out the transportation of sodium hydroxide for Vinnolit, a company that is also located in the chemical industrial park in Knapsack.

Kube & Kubenz has an extensive quality management system at its disposal that applies the requirements and specifications of the applicable certificates according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2008.  This mid-sized company was one of the first service provider businesses to sign on with the chemical industry’s environmental agreement, “Responsible Care”.

The company develops and markets high temperature super conductors (HTS). These are ceramic materials that can conduct electricity without resistance; a future technology with enormous growth potential. The ceramic powder, which is produced in Knapsack, is pressed into rods and converted into HTS wires on a customer’s site. This is especially used for energy technology, in cables, motors and transformers.

The massive parts that are developed and produced here are used in, e.g. current limiters and contactless magnet bearings. Of the 18,000 employees who work for the French concern world wide, 20 work in Knapsack.

The nova-Institut was founded in 1994 as a private and independant institute. It’s location is the Chemiepark Knapsack in Huerth near Cologne. The division „renewable resources“ is made up of the three departments „Economy and Resourcemanagement“, „Biomaterials“ and „IT, Print, Congress and Event Management“.

The department „Economy and Resource Management“ concentrates on market analysis, availability and prices of fossile, mineral and especially agricultural resources, economical analysis alongside the value added chain of resources, area and usage competition as well as the industrial biotechnology (regarding resource and economical aspects)

The department „Biomaterials“ main focus is the global and local market research of biomaterials. Biomaterials include natural fibre composites, wood-plastic-composites (WPC) und wooden materials. The technical and economical feasabiltity as well as the environmental influence, marketing support, project development and management, innovation and knowledge transfer are part of the departments work.

The nova-Institute in a host of many regularly conducted international congresses regarding biomaterials and resources. Furthermore many workshops, seminars and roadshows are organised concerning those topics.  „IT, Print, Congress and Event Management“: international congress, workshops, seminars, roadshows, websites, databases, layout

During the last 15 years the approx. 20 staff members have worked on numerous market studies, economical analysis and feasability studies as well as on the publication of many studies, brochures and books. Furthermore, the institute is organising and conducting approx. ten national and international projects with the industry and research annually.

The turnover of the nova-Institut in the 2007 was approx. 1.5 Mio. Euro.

The Karl Schmidt Spedition, one of the largest European specialist providers for bulk goods logistics, operates a bulk goods center with a total of 104 silos with a holding capacity of about 40,000m3 for plastic granules (polypropylene) in Knapsack. Silo usage is also available for customers outside the chemical park. Products are not only stored, but are also cleaned, mixed and packed according to specification and loaded into containers or onto silo-trains. Employees on-site: circa 35.

The Norwegian energy company Statkraft has invested circa 400 million Euro in a gas and steam driven turbine power station in Knapsack. In the future about 35 people will be working in the power station. Completion date: Fall 2007, capacity: 800 mega-watts per hour, raw material: natural gas, local subsidiary: Knapsack Power GmbH & Co KG (limited partner with a limited liability company as general partner), further GuD (gas and steam) power station project in Germany: Herdecke with a 400 mega-watt per hour capacity in a 50-50 joint venture with Mark-E AG (corporation).

Statkraft is aiming to become one of the main European players in the field of environmentally friendly energy. Based on 100 years of experience and investments, the company is well prepared for further growth and development and has the continuing willpower to sustain value-creation. The company stands for continual development concerning the environment and business.

The organization has a total production of 41 tera-watts per hour and is the third largest energy producer in the north and the second largest producer of renewable energy in Europe. The company has circa 2,000 employees including those from the company Skagerak Energi and Trondheim Energiverk. Statkraft also has a holding in the Norwegian energy company BKK, Agder Energi and Fjordfraft as well as in the Swedish company Sydkraft E.on Sverige.

The plant in Knapsack is a German subsidiary of the Dutch company Thermphos International. They are specialized in phosphorus products and produce phorsphorus-penta-sulfide, a raw material from which additives are produced using alcohols and zinc oxide that are primarily used in the auto industry in lubricating materials. Employees: 20.

Germany’s leading producer of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) manufactures and markets a wide assortment of premium PVC-products for all current processing procedures and PVC-applications, e.g. for the construction and automotive industries or for the medical technology sector. Vinnolit is, at the same time, a significant producer and supplier of all intermediate products such as chlorine, caustic soda solution, dichloroethane, and hydrogen.