MOL has opened a new polyol research and development center, named after György Mosonyi, the late CEO of MOL (Budapest, Hungary; www.molgroup.info), in Százhalombatta, Hungary to develop polyol products that meet the needs of customers. The experimental reactor system, which is the most modern in the world, was supplied and commissioned by thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions (Essen, Germany; www.thyssenkrupp.com). 90% of the other assets in the project were procured from Hungarian suppliers. In addition, MOL and thyssenkrupp have entered into a joint research and development agreement, the company said.
MOL Group’s 2030 strategy sets the goal of increasing the share of contribution of the petrochemical business to the results of the entire group. The EUR 1.2 billion investment in the polyol complex in Tiszaújváros serves to achieve this. To underpin this investment and ensure that the plant meets the needs of the markets it serves, MOL established the research and development center at the Danube Refinery. The EUR 10 million investment center will fund up to 12 engineers and 7 technicians and the most advanced experimental reactor system in the world, supplied and commissioned by thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions with 90% of equipment procured from Hungarian suppliers.
MOL and thyssenkrupp have also entered into a joint research and development agreement to facilitate the entry of both companies into the polyol market: thyssenkrupp as a technology service provider and engineering-procurement-construction (EPC) contractor, and MOL as a manufacturer and seller of various polyol products.
The research and development center will conduct tests of the physicochemical properties of polyols, as well as laboratory tests and application experiments of polyurethane foams made from them. By July 2022, at least 10 polyol grades will be developed in the newly built facility. In order to compare and validate the results of the measurements, the company also plans to cooperate with the laboratories of several Hungarian universities and independent research institutions. These collaborations will help to further develop the methodologies used in the polyol R&D center and increase the knowledge base of universities. As well as to the MOL Group, the center will offer outstanding value to the Hungarian and international scientific community for years to come.