Ineos, one of the world’s largest chemicals manufacturing companies, has announced plans to build a hand sanitiser plant in Middlesbrough, UK in just ten days, with the aim of churning out 1 million bottles of handrub per day.
The company then intends to replicate this in Germany.
Ineos is Europe’s leading producer of two key raw materials required for hand sanitisers, isopropyl alcohol and ethanol, which it makes at its existing sites in Grangemouth, Scotland and in northern Germany. The purpose of the proposed new factories will be to make hand sanitiser from these materials.
The ultimate intention will be to make ‘pocket bottle’ hand sanitisers for personal use, which help mitigate the hand-to-mouth contagion pathway for the coronavirus. There is a critical shortage of such products across Europe.
“INEOS is a company with enormous resources and manufacturing skills. If we can find other ways to help in the coronavirus battle, we are absolutely committed to playing our part,” said Sir Jim Ratcliffe, founder and Chairman of Ineos.
The company hopes to supply schools, places of work, pharmacies and supermarkets, and has said it will provide free issue product for hospitals.
