Ahmedabad-based chemical player, Atul Ltd’s joint-venture with the US-based speciality chemicals maker, Nouryon, has started production at its Anaven facility in Gujarat.

The facility, with a current capacity of 32,000 tonnes per annum, is the largest monochloroacetic acid (MCA) production site in the country, the company claimed.

The newly-commissioned plant will help meet the rapidly growing demand from India’s agricultural, personal care and pharmaceuticals markets.

The plant capacity can be rapidly expanded to 60,000 tonnes per annum.

MCA is used as an essential raw material for adhesives, pharmaceuticals and crop protection chemicals, among others.

Atul consumes a portion of the MCA directly for its own production of crop protection chemicals.

In a statement, the company said the Anaven plant is a zero-liquid discharge MCA production site, with no wastewater exiting the plant.

Sunil Lalbhai, Chairman and Managing Director of Atul said, "Thanks to our partnership, we can apply Nouryon’s state-of-the art technology in the new plant while creating forward and backward integration with our bulk and agri-chemicals businesses.

"The Anaven plant will ensure reliable supply of a key raw material for the Indian market, giving a growing number of farmers, doctors and households better access to daily essentials," he said.

Sobers Sethi, Senior Vice-President, Emerging Markets at Nouryon, said, "Securing the supply of this essential ingredient is even more important in times when global supply chains are under pressure due to Covid-19.”

Nouryon has MCA plants in the Netherlands, China and Japan, and operates an organic peroxide and metal alkyls production site in Mahad, India.

Atul Ltd shares ended at Rs 8,355.45 on the BSE on Tuesday, up 1 per cent from its previous close.

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