DSM expansion

Aker Kvaerner has won a contract for the first phase of engineering for a project to expand DSM Engineering Plastics’ diaminobutane (DAB) plant in Geleen, the Netherlands. Including reliability studies, the project phase is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of this year.

DAB, also known as putrescine, is a raw material in the production of polyurethanes, epoxy curing agents, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, surfactants and urea. DSM intends to use the output of the expanded plant to feed a new facility to make Stanyl, a high-performance, high-temperature nylon plastic with applications in the automotive and electronic sectors.

Jab van de Graaf, Aker Kvaerner’s regional operations director of Rotterdam and Maastricht, is particularly pleased to have secured the contract. ‘The project is managed through the newly established DSM Manufacturing Centre, and it is a very positive sign that we have been able to secure this work so quickly,’ he explains.