Expansion of production capacity for polyester films in Germany

The company has announced an expansion of the production capacity of HOSTAPHAN® polyester films in Europe and will invest in a new production line. The investment amounts to approximately 110 million euros and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. This is the third investment by Mitsubishi Chemical in the global polyester film business since 2018. It follows the opening of a new production line in South Carolina USA in 2018 and an investment in a new production line in Indonesia, with planned start up in 2022.

The polyester film market in Europe is growing by about 5% annually. Mitsubishi Polyester Film is global leader in the development and production of innovative high-performance Polyester films which meet demanding customer requirements. The Mitsubishi Polyester Film Group is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of polyester films.

Demand is expected to continue to grow strongly in the future and the parent company, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, has decided to build a new production plant with a capacity of 27,000 tons per year. This state of the art line will be one of the world’s most modern production machines for polyester films.

The plant will be equipped with the latest technology to ensure energy-saving production that will reduce CO2 emissions. In addition, the investment will accelerate the company’s efforts to achieve a circular economy. It will include technology that allows polyester films already used by the customer to be reused as raw materials in production.

Mitsubishi Chemical’s polyester film division produces at 5 locations worldwide, in Japan, China, Indonesia, the USA and Germany. Mitsubishi Polyester Film GmbH, located in the industrial park in Wiesbaden Germany, currently produces 50,000 tons of polyester films annually for a wide variety of applications. The HOSTAPHAN® film is used for applications in the automotive sector, including the growing market for EV batteries and for many medical applications such as medical patches, wound care products and diagnostic strips. With the investment, the company will continue to secure and expand the location in Wiesbaden and secure the jobs of its 560 employees.

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, an operating company of the Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation Group, is one of Japan’s largest chemical company. The company offers a wide variety of products and solutions in “Performance Products” and “Industrial Materials” domains, leveraging its diverse expertise and technology platforms based on chemistry.