DUSSELDORF, Germany - Degussa AG, a wholly owned subsidiary of the RAG Group, pla ns to construct a major Verbund production (integrated production network) in Shanghai to manufacture methyl methacrylate (MMA) and methacrylate specialties. The Degussa supervisory board has now given the go-ahead for this facility to be constructed. The investment volume for the entire plant including all intermediates is around €250 million, making it Degussa’s second-largest single investment. The world-scale facility is scheduled to come on stream in 2009 on completion of the construction phase, which should last approximately two years.

Once all the approvals have been obtained from the Chinese authorities, Degussa will construct an MMA facility with an annual capacity of 100,000 tons, which will practically all be processed into highly refined methacrylate specialties and polymers. The facility will be built at Degussa’s multi-user site at Shanghai Chemical Industry Park Development Ltd.