Inquide Flix S.A. will produce 7,000 tons/year of trichloroisocyanide acid

Last July, Inquide S.A.U. and Grupo Químico Ercros formed a joint company, Inquide Flix, S.A., which will start operating towards mid-2001. The manufacturing plant, located in Flix (Tarragona) represents an investment of 700 million pesetas and will have an output capacity of 7,000 metric tons per annum of trichloroisocyanide acid, which is a basic substance in swimming pool water treatment.
Albert López, Managing Director of Neokem Grup explains the details of this extension of activities.

What is the purpose of the company, Inquide Flix, S.A., formed by Inquide S.A.U. and the Grupo Químico Ercros?
The purpose is to manufacture trichloroisocyanide acid at a newly-constructed plant located in the town of Flix (Tarragona), and will be located on the land adjacent to the Ercros chlorine gas and caustic soda plant, also using the cyanide acid of the Inquide factory of La Pobla de Claramunt (Barcelona). The location, therefore, has an optimum logistics situation.

What is the share of each founder company in the project and what will be their respective responsibilities?
Inquide has an 80% share and Ercros holds the remaining 20%. Neokem Grup will provide technology, owing to its outstanding position in Europe in the production and marketing of solid chlorate products. Ercros will provide the basic components to manufacture the product, such as chlorine and soda, which are manufactured in the plant the group currently operates in Flix.

What investment is planned and where will the plant be located?
In principle, we estimate that the investment will be around 700 million. As I mentioned previously, the plant will be located in land adjacent to Erkimia in Flix, and we shall see improved logistic activities regarding product manufacture.

What will be the output volume of the plant and which destination markets are planned?
The plant will be able to produce around 7,000 metric tons of trichloroisocyanide acid per annum, representing over 55% of domestic output. This means that we will become the leading producer in Spain and one of the world-wide leaders. 60% of output will be for export to European Union countries, South America and the Middle East. 40% will be marketed on the domestic market.

When is it planned for Inquide Flix to start operating, and how many jobs will this new plant create?
Following our set time schedule, we estimate that the new plant will start operating in September next year. The investment will create twenty-five direct jobs.

What are the plans for the factory Inquide S.A.U. has in Monzón (Huesca) producing trichloroisocyanide acid?
The new Flix plant will not mean cuts in the output of the existing factory, on the contrary, as expansion plans of other factories are maintained. In this sense, I would like to underline that Inquide, which currently produces 3,000 tons per annum of trichloroisocyanide acid at its Monzón (Huesca) factory, plans to keep to its plan of increasing output to 6,000 tons/year, and sodium dichloroisocyanide to 1,500 tons/year. The start-up of this project is planned for the third quarter in 2001.

What does the new plant mean for the activities and market share of Neokem Grup, the holding company to which Inquide S.A.U. belongs?
The logical ambition is to take over the greatest market share possible, and in this sense, the new plant will enable this to happen, also reinforcing our European leadership in the output and marketing of chemical products for the treatment and disinfection of swimming pool water. The new plant will make us become one of the leading producers in the world, combined with an expansion programme through our distributor companies that will increase our market presence.

What companies currently form the Holding Company?
The Neokem Grup is currently composed of Inquide S.A.U., CTX S.A.U. of Polinyà (Barcelona), CTX Piscine SARL of Perpignan (France), CTX Chemicals SRL of Bedizzole (Italy) and Aqua Ambiente of Parede (Portugal), which was incorporated into the group last Summer.