Covestro Opens New Polyester Production Line In Memmingen Plant

The multi-year investment project has added an extra reactor line with a capacity in the range of several thousand tons (two-digit thousands). This production line is built on the GMP-compliant manufacturing infrastructure established in Meppen, enabling it to meet the requirements for food-contact applications.

The new reactor is designed to facilitate a wide range of chemical reactions, enabling Covestro to flexibly produce high-molecular-weight and standard polyester grades, as well as alkyd and acrylic resins. These product lines serve applications in can, coil, and industrial coatings, as well as adhesives, and are marketed under brands such as Uralac®, Uradil™, Hybrane™, and NeoRez®. The new production line can also produce intermediates for polyurethane dispersions.

Investment covers not only reactor production lines. Existing facilities have been modernized, including:

• A new truck loading system

• Fully Automatic Drum Filling Line

• A heat recovery device that improves energy efficiency by recovering process heat.

The total investment is in the range of several million euros.

The on-site team is also growing in line with modernization and capacity expansion. Higher demand for products manufactured in Meppen has led to the current filling of additional positions in production, filling, and shipping.

Dr. Andrea Maier-Richter, head of Covestro’s Coatings and Adhesives business entity, stated: “Customers rely on dependable supply and consistent quality. The new production line in Meppen has increased the supply of polyester resins and strengthened supply from Europe. This expansion also provides customers with greater flexibility for demanding applications, where consistent product quality is critical and regulatory requirements are complex.

Site Manager Dr. André Rittermeier added, “Meppen is a website with deep expertise and a proven track record. With new routes and upgraded facilities, we are not only increasing capacity but also strengthening the foundation that our customers rely on.

According to Covestro, this investment strengthens the role of the Meppen site as a reliable, long-term partner for polyester specialties in Europe.

Since 2021, the Meppen plant has been part of Covestro. Covestro acquired the site when it purchased the Resins & Functional Materials business from Royal DSM. The site has been in operation since 1956. More than 100 employees, including apprentices, produce high-quality resins for customers in the paints, coatings, and packaging industries. These resins include polyesters, alkyds, acrylates, and polyurethane dispersions.