Bluestar to Build Methionine Project in Nanjing Partnering with Adisseo   

China National BlueStar (Group) Co., Ltd. (Bluestar) plans to build a new methionine plant in Nanjing of Jiangsu province, in partnership with its wholly-owned subsidiary Adisseo.
   The proposed methionine plant is designed to have an initial capacity of 70 000 t/a and will be doubled with the future market conditions. Construction will be started in 2010, with scheduled startup in the second half of 2012.
   The plant will be integrated into a petrochemical facility owned by Bluestar and will benefit from state-of-the-art technology and Adisseo's latest innovations in the field of methionine production, and Bluestar's industrial know-how as well as local production of the necessary raw materials (propylene, methanol, sulfur, etc.) and preferably geographic location that is convenient for transport links to swiftly supply the growing needs in China and the entire Asia Pacific region.
   The methionine plant had been originally planned to be located in Bluestar Tianjin advanced material production base, and has to re-site in Nanjing with the changed Tianjin development blueprint.
   In parallel, Adisseo announced in June a plan to invest Euro 25 million to increase methionine production by 25 000 t/a at its French and Spanish plants.
   These initiatives are being taken in anticipation of continuous growth of global demand for methionine, an essential amino acid mainly used to feed poultry, and aim to ensure Adisseo's long-term competitiveness and leading position in this market, Adisseo says.
   Adisseo expects the global methionine market should be growing at an average rate of 4% annualized by 2015.
   At the same time, Adisseo will invest Euro 20 million over the next two years in its production units in France and Spain. This investment plan covers the various manufacturing stages as well as the supply chain for a global plan to increase capacities and improve the productivity of its entire European methionine production chain. In February 2007, Adisseo had already reinforced its industrial units by purchasing the Sulphur and Regeneration Products business from Rhodia, its number one supplier of sulfuric acid and hydrogen sulfide used to synthesize methionine.
   Adisseo is the third largest manufacturer of animal nutritional additives and solutions in the world. It has three research labs and four production facilities: Commentry and Les Roches-Roussillon (France), Burgos (Spain) and Institute (USA). Since January 2006, Adisseo has been one of the main subsidiaries of Bluestar.
   Bluestar is a large-scale state-owned Chinese company, a leading chemical corporation specialized in advanced chemical materials and special chemicals. Bluestar boasts 45 subsidiaries, 17 scientific & technologic research institutes, with 2008 sales of Euro 4 billion.