AkzoNobel is investing €20 million to increase powder coatings capacity at its site in Como, Italy. The investment underlines the company's intent to strengthen its market position and sharpen its focus on greener manufacturing.
AkzoNobel's Como site, which is already the company's biggest plant in Europe for producing powder coatings, is set to house a major capacity expansion for the production of automotive coatings.
The historic building of the Como site will be renovated to house advanced equipment and technology, which will deliver higher productivity rates. The new operation in Como will also use recycled energy to reduce consumption.
The new facility will provide strategic back-up for AkzoNobel's Arnsberg site in Germany, where a new line is also being added. This will help the company continue to grow with its customers, particularly in the automotive segment, while meeting the highest standards in sustainable production.
"We're implementing a structured expansion plan to boost capacity at both our Como and Arnsberg sites," explains Daniela Vlad, Business Director of AkzoNobel Powder Coatings. "It will help to strengthen our market position and provide us with back up should we encounter supply issues."
AkzoNobel's investments for a more sustainable manufacturing
The investment in Italy follows others recent investments in China and Vietnam designed to install greener facilities and production methods
, which in turn will help the company to achieve its sustainability ambitions.
In fact, production capacity for
marine and protective coatings and wood coatings
is being boosted at the Amata Industrial Park facility in Vietnam
, with a wide range of sustainability features being introduced, like solar power generation, rainwater harvesting and solvent recovery systems.
Meanwhile, the
decorative paints site in Guangzhou, China**, is set to switch over completely to water-based products: once fully operational, the site will increase water reuse by 70% and reduce wastewater by 50%, helping the company to achieve its ambition of 100% water reuse at its most water intensive sites by 2030.
"Although powder coatings are already inherently sustainable, we're also committed to making our own buildings and facilities as sustainable as possible," continues Vlad. "The company has set a clear ambition to reduce its carbon emissions by 50% in 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2050, so we're accelerating our efforts to embrace renewable energy and introduce more smart manufacturing technology."
These ongoing efforts are all part of AkzoNobel's "People. Planet. Paint." approach to sustainability. Around 33% of the company's locations now use renewable electricity, with more on the way, indicating AkzoNobel's intention to remain at the forefront of sustainability in the paints and coatings industry.