Umicore to consolidate catalyst operations in Germany

Umicore, a Brussels-based materials technology and recycling company, has announced plans to close its automotive catalyst production facility in Rheinfelden, Germany, and transfer the business to its newer automotive capacity facility in Bad Säckingen, Germany. The company says it expects the consolation to be completed over a three-year period.

In choosing to shutter the Rheinfelden plant, Umicore notes that the Bad Säckingen site offers specific advantages regarding its ability to accommodate future growth. With the two facilities only 15 kilometers (10 miles) apart, some of the employees currently at the Rheinfelden plant will be able to transfer to the Bad Säckingen facility, the company says.

While consolidating output in Germany, Umicore announced plans to increase production capacity at its newly commissioned Nowa Ruda plant in Poland. The company says the introduction of new emission regulations in Europe requires a broader range of technologically advanced products, such as gasoline particulate filters, lean NOx (nitrogen oxide) traps, selective catalytic reduction and advanced three-way catalysts. The adapted and expanded production configurations in Germany and Poland will support Umicore in meeting this demand in the optimum way, the company says.

When the Rheinfelden facility is closed, Umicore will operate three automotive catalyst production facilities in Europe: Bad Säckingen; Nowa Ruda; and Karlskoga, Sweden. The company also operates a plant in Florange, France, dedicated to producing catalysts that mainly are used in heavy-duty diesel vehicles.