MOL completes new research and development center in Százhalombatta
MOL says it has opened a new polyol research and development center, named after György Mosonyi, the late CEO of MOL, 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. 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.
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.
Gabriel Szabó, EVP of MOL Group Downstream, said: “The research and development center bears the name of György Mosonyi, the late CEO of MOL, who was deeply committed to innovation throughout his work, so
this a worthy tribute to his memory. It is a state-of-the-art laboratory, equipped with all the necessary tools, instruments and most importantly it has great experts who will ensure that the R&D activities can serve
the development of market-ready products, to be later produced by the polyol plant in Tiszaújváros. Centre is outstanding not only for MOL, but as the most advanced polyol research center in Central and Eastern Europe it has national significance and we hope that the scientific results of it will be of high value internationally as well.”
“With our agreement on joint research and development, this R&D center is a big step forward to explore and win the new markets MOL is addressing with the polyols. We are excited for this new chapter in our joint journey and confident that this partnership will be an important success factor on our path to develop advanced and sustainable technology and products for a better future,” Sami Pelkonen, CEO of thyssenkrupp’s Chemical & Process Technologies business unit added.
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.
MOL's project “Research and Development of Polyether Polyol Grades with Market Potential”, which is supported by the National Office for Research, Development and Innovation with HUF 483,269,279, will also
take place primarily in the newly opened research center.
MOL Group is an integrated, international oil and gas company with its headquarters in Budapest, with an international and dynamic workforce of 25,000 in more than 30 countries and an industrial history of more than
100 years. MOL's exploration and production activities are supported by more than 80 years of experience in the hydrocarbon industry. It currently has extraction activities in 9 countries and has research assets in 14 countries. MOL Group operates three refineries and two petrochemical plants under integrated supply chain management in Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia, and its retail network includes 1,940 filling stations in 10 countries in Central and South-Eastern Europe.
thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions AG is a leading partner for the engineering, construction and service of industrial plants and systems. Based on more than 200 years of experience we supply tailored, turnkey
plants and components for customers in the chemical, fertilizer, cement, mining and steel industries. Around 11,500 employees worldwide form a global network with a technology portfolio that guarantees productivity
and cost-efficiency to the highest extent possible.
