Haltermann Carless celebrates start of construction of new hydrogenation plant

With a symbolic ground-breaking ceremony Haltermann Carless celebrates the start of construction of the new hydrogenation plant in Speyer, Germany.

Frankfurt a. M., July 8, 2019 - Haltermann Carless, a company of HCS Group and a leading provider of high-value hydrocarbon solutions, is investing a mid-double-digit million euro amount in a modern production facility at its Speyer site in Germany. Commissioning of the hydrogenation plant is scheduled for mid-2020. The start of construction was officially celebrated on July 5, 2019 with a symbolic ground-breaking ceremony at the production site. Around 60 guests from local politics, representatives of the authorities and chemical associations, the fire brigade and neighbouring companies accepted the company's invitation to attend.

Investment in the future at the Speyer site

With this investment in the Speyer facility, the chemicals specialist is committing itself to the location and the region. "We have deliberately chosen our production site in Speyer to build the new hydrogenation plant", says Henrik Krüpper, CEO of HCS Group, and adds: "We have had a very close, constructive and trusting cooperation with the city and the authorities of Speyer for decades, a very well-functioning infrastructure with strong local partners and, last but not least, excellent employees who support and embody this site." Moreover, with its connection to the Rhine river and its location in the geographical centre of Europe, Speyer is ideally situated to supply Haltermann Carless customers in Europe and throughout the world.

The mayor of Speyer, Stefanie Seiler, also confirms the excellent cooperation with the chemicals company. In her view, the fact that Haltermann Carless has decided to invest in a state-of-the-art production facility in Speyer is a courageous and highly appreciated decision, as it secures jobs and prosperity for the region.

Quality instead of quantity - Hydrogenation plant allows high product purity and flexibility

Every year, around 200,000 tons of raw materials are processed at the production site. René Tessmann, head of the business unit "Industrial" at Haltermann Carless, clarifies that the new production plant will not change the overall capacity of the plant. Rather, the hydrogenation plant enables the chemicals company to produce new product types and products with a high degree of purity, thereby responding to growing market demands. Examples are products for the printing ink, construction, pharmaceuticals and electronics industries. Another advantage of the new plant is its high production flexibility. "The hydrogenation plant opens up new opportunities for us in the supply of raw materials. This contributes to the strategic stability of our business and to maintaining our competitiveness on the international market", explains René Tessmann.

Haltermann Carless in Speyer

Haltermann Carless has been based in Speyer since 1965. A good 50 years later - in 2020 - Haltermann Carless is launching its hydrogenation plant, the largest investment in its recent history since its takeover by the HCS Group in 2011. Around 100 of the company’s 450 employees worldwide work at this strategically important production site of Haltermann Carless. Besides the two German production sites Speyer and Hamburg, the chemicals company also operates production facilities in Great Britain, France and the US. Haltermann Carless products are used in the automotive, aviation, agricultural, pharmaceuticals and electronics industries as well as in the energy sector.

As one of the oldest chemicals companies in the world, Haltermann Carless is also celebrating its 160th anniversary in 2019. The company's roots go back to 1859. More stories about the company’s history and current developments can be found at www.haltermann-carless.com/stories

Background information on Eugene Carless and Johann Haltermann

• Eugene Carless: • In 1859 the chemist Eugene Carless settled in Hackney Wick, Great Britain, as a distiller and refiner of mineral oils. He founded the company Carless, Capel & Leonard and developed a new substance which came onto the market under the name "Petrol". In the "gasoline age" at the end of the 19th century, the company was the only British source of highly refined fuel. In 2000 the company was bought by Petrochem, whereupon it traded as Petrochem Carless before being merged with Haltermann in 2013.
• Johann Haltermann: In 1898, a company was founded in the North German port of Hamburg which later became known as Johann Haltermann Mineralöl AG. The company began with a "tar boiler" and refined raw tar from the Hamburg gas works and finally became a pioneer in the development of hydrocarbon specialities. In 2003, Dow Chemical took over Haltermann and sold it again in 2011 to the financial investor H.I.G. Capital, who thereby laid the foundation for the newly founded HCS Group.

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About Haltermann Carless

Haltermann Carless, one of the oldest chemical companies in the world, provides innovative hydrocarbon-based specialty products and solvents and associated services to best serve its customers. The company operates a network of state of the art facilities for refining, processing and blending to produce a wide variety of specialty products in key business areas: Automotive, Middle Distillates, Oil & Gas, Pentanes, Performance Fuels, Performance Solvents and Special Aromatics. Haltermann Carless is a brand of HCS Group.

More Information: www.haltermann-carless.com

Your contact:

Sandra Zirm
HCS Group GmbH
Edmund-Rumpler-Str. 3
60549 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
+49 69 695 386-117
szirm@h-c-s-group.com / pr@h-c-s-group.com