Dec 1 2006
Inco Limited (Inco), a leading nickel and nickel specialties producer based in Toronto, Canada, and Sud-Chemie AG, Munich, Germany (Sud-Chemie), a leading supplier of catalysts for the chemicals and refining industry and for environmental applications, have agreed to establish a joint venture company for the production and marketing of catalyzed diesel emission control materials for the automotive industry. Equity interests in the new company, which will be named Alantum, will be divided equally between Inco ECM GmbH, a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Inco Limited, and Sud-Chemie.
Alantum will concentrate initially on diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) and diesel particulate filter (DPF) applications for European passenger car and light truck markets. Production will take place in a new facility at Sud-Chemie's Heufeld site in Germany. Commercial scale production is expected to begin in 2008.
The technologies brought into the joint venture by each of the parents are highly complementary. Sud-Chemie brings in its depth of knowledge in catalysis, while Inco will provide its new alloy foam substrate and extensive metals processing technology. This new generation of catalyzed substrates for emission control products offers considerable benefits compared to traditional catalyzed ceramic substrates.
The introduction of increasingly stringent regulations for exhaust emissions in Europe offers an outstanding opportunity for growth. In setting up the joint venture, the two companies aim to fully participate in that growth, based on this unique offering to the automotive industry.
Peter Goudie, Inco's Executive Vice-President Marketing, commented: "Inco is delighted to enter into this partnership with Sud-Chemie, a recognized leader in catalyst products. We view this as an exciting application for our nickel foam technology and an important technology breakthrough in catalyzed diesel emission control, with significant value-creation potential. Our two companies, the automotive industry and the environment will all benefit from this partnership."
Dr. Hans Jurgen Wernicke, Member of the Managing Board of Sud-Chemie AG, said: "This project is of high strategic importance for Sud-Chemie. We are a global leader in catalyst technology and intend to gain a similar position in the rapidly growing market for diesel exhaust gas catalysts. We are proud to work with Inco, the world's leading nickel technology company, in reaching this goal."