The Lanxess facility is additionally equipped with laboratories, logistics areas and offices in order to deliver ready-to-use elements for reverse osmosis (RO) purposes to customers worldwide. After completion of extensive pilot and development phases regular production will commence in Bitterfeld in the fourth quarter of 2011. The first RO membrane elements will be available on the market in the beginning of 2012. It is expected that with increasing market demand and planned expansions in production scale, the number of employees in the new facility will reach 50 within the next two years, and will ultimately rise to 200 people. With this new facility LANXESS will increase its product portfolio for water treatment.
The product line of membrane filtration elements will be marketed under the brand name Lewabrane. LANXESS will therefore become one of the very few companies in the market that can offer expertise and products for both ion exchange and membrane filtration, namely the Lewatit and Lewabrane product lines.