Kemira Chemicals Oy has started up a new formic acid production line in Oulu. The total investment was 17 million euros and the construction work was completed months ahead of the original schedule. The annual production capacity of the plant increased from 60,000 tons to 80,000 tons as a result of the new line. With the new capacity, Kemira will clearly be the second largest formic acid producer in the world.
The environmentally friendly formic acid is the simplest organic acid present in nature and in addition to ants, it can also be found in various other plant and animal species. Formic acid is mostly used in chemical processing, pH-control, preservation of agricultural and industrial processes and cleaning applications. The most important use for the formic acid in Finland is AIV feed preservatives. In the export market the most significant sectors of use are the leather and textile industry, the chemistry industry and feed industry.
The demand for formic acid based products has increased particularly within feed industry applications, as the quality and safety requirements of the whole food chain have recently become much tighter. The EU will implement a total ban on feed antibiotics by 2006. Formic acid products can replace the non-prescribed antibiotics in animal feed and the objective of their use is to improve the feed quality and safety.
Kemira's annual net sales of formic acid products are over EUR 40 million and the products are exported to over 40 countries. Kemira actively develops new applications and products based on formic acid for agricultural and industrial customers' needs. Kemira expects continued growth in the demand for formic acid based products. The formic acid production process is based on Kemira's own technology, with Kemira Engineering Oy in charge of design.