PCC Investigates Plant for Ethylene Oxide (EO) and Five Additional Processing Plants at Evonik's Lülsdorf Site

At a glance

PCC is considering the construction of a production plant for ethylene oxide (EO) and five additional processing plants at Evonik's Lülsdorf site. This project, operated by PCC Integrated Chemistries GmbH, is expected to create up to 200 new jobs in addition to the existing 500 jobs. The investment volume for the project is estimated to be around 500 million euros. The main EO plant will secure the long-term supply of PCC's chemical division, while the other plants will process the majority of the EO at the Lülsdorf site. The project also includes a CO2 recovery system and will adhere to the latest technical standards.

PCC is currently examining the construction of a production plant for ethylene oxide (EO) and five further processing plants at Evonik's Lülsdorf site. In addition to the 500 jobs so far, up to 200 new jobs will be created. The region as a whole benefits from the growing economic strength of the location. The project is operated by a 100% subsidiary PCC Integrated Chemistries GmbH based in Duisburg. The expected investment volume is around 500 million euros.

The planning includes a main EO plant. With this new production, PCC secures the long-term supply of its chemical division. Five further plants are to process the majority of the EO directly at the Lülsdorf site - around 140,000 tons annually. The remaining amount - around 40,000 tons per year - is transported to customers outside the site. Also included in the project is a CO2 recovery system to reuse around 80 percent of the CO2 generated during production. The PCC project relies on the latest technical standards.

The PCC project in numbers:

  • Planned plants: 1 ethylene oxide plant and 5 plants for further processing
  • Substances produced: ethylene oxide, ethylene carbonates, polyethylene glycols, ethoxylates, monoethylene glycol, cellulose ethers, carbon dioxide (CO2 )
  • New jobs: probably 120 directly at PCC, up to 200 including processing companies
  • Total investment: around 500 million euros

Project outline


January 2020: Start of the project: Publication of the project website and information for local residents before the application conference by the licensing authority

February 2020: Citizens' information event  in Lülsdorf

February 2020: Application conference with public authorities (definition of the expert opinions and documents for the approval applications)

Spring to fall 2020: Development of license applications / preparation of reports on, among other things, species protection, noise and traffic

Fall 2020: Submission of the approval applications to the district government of Cologne

From autumn 2021: Start of plant construction

From 2024: Installation