Specialty chemicals group Lanxess is investing in its production site for high-performance rubber in Port-Jérôme, France. The Group plans to invest some €30 million by 2015.

Lanxess produces the high-performance rubbers neodymium-polybutadiene (Nd-PBR) and solution styrene-butadiene (SSBR) at the site. These rubber grades are used primarily for the production of "green tires".

Increasing demand for "green tires" is being driven by the megatrend of mobility, particularly in Asia and Latin America. Lanxess also expects increased demand in Europe as a result of the EU labeling requirement for tires that enters into force in November 2012.

The plant in Port-Jérôme currently has a production capacity of 140,000 metric tons per year.

Lanxess is also planning a new plant for Nd-PBR rubber in Singapore. The new plant, which will cost some €200 million to build, is scheduled to start production in 2015.

According to current forecasts, around 2 billion new tires will be produced worldwide in 2015. At the moment, this figure is around 1.6 billion. This represents an increase of around 25% for the entire tire industry.