Münster district government approves operating permit for CDT plant in Marl

The extensive work to repair the damage caused by the fire at the CDT plant of Evonik Industries at Chemiepark Marl has now been completed. In November, the Münster district government issued an operating permit pursuant to the German Federal Emissions Law (BImSchG). All mechanical systems of the CDT plant were in place by the end of November, and as planned, the CDT plant will start operating in December. The first shipments of polyamide 12 made from the precursor material to be produced in the plant are scheduled to go out in January 2013. The full product portfolio will be gradually reestablished to restore the company’s full polyamide 12 capacity.

The reason for the production loss was an explosion, followed by a fire that occurred on March 31, 2012, in a facility for the manufacture of cyclododecatriene (CDT) which caused significant material damage. Evonik deeply regrets the death of two employees as a result of the accident.

Immediately after the incident, the attorney general’s office in Essen began an investigation against unknown persons and the investigation is still ongoing. Pursuant to the provisions of the German Industrial Accident Ordinance, Evonik has retained the services of an independent expert to investigate the cause of the accident. According to his findings, it can be considered as certain that an overdosage of a catalyst caused the damage. Furthermore, Evonik has engaged an independent institute to establish additional safety measures for the restored CDT plant based on the expert report in order to rule out a recurrence of the incident. The recommendations of the expert were fully implemented during the reconstruction of the plant.

CDT is a raw material for the production of high-quality plastic, primarily polyamide 12 which amongst other applications, is used in the automotive industry.