Evonik starts up rhamnolipid plant in support of Unilever pact

In Slovakia, Evonik has manufactured the first volumes at its Slovenská Ľupča biobased rhamnolipids plant. The triple-digit million-euro facility will meet high demand for biobased and biodegradable surfactants for cleaning and personal care applications. It will also support an agreement with Unilever, which aims to phase out the use of ingredients based on fossil fuels from its cleaning products by 2030.

The plant uses a fermentation process and corn sugar sourced from Europe as feedstock. Rhamnolipids’ foam-forming properties and mildness make them ideal for use in household cleaners and personal care products such as shampoos and micellar waters. They also offer superior performance for industrial applications such as coatings, mining, and oil and gas.