Lonza inaugurates Shawinigan Facility  

Yesterday, Lonza AG (Basel, Switzerland; www.lonza.com) formally launched its newly acquired plant in Shawinigan, Canada. The facility is dedicated to the production of Pro-KTM — a new addition to Lonza’s nutrition portfolio. The plant recently passed its ISO-9001-2000 and FAMI-QS certification audit on November 27. Lonza acquired the assets of Shawinigan (previously S.A.M. Electron Technologies) in May to support its continued growth of its animal nutrition business. This vitamin K3 manufacturing in Canada, along with the existing production facilities for niacin, niacinamide, L-carnitine and arabinogalactan in Switzerland, China, Czech Republic and the U.S. strengthens the firm’s position as a key supplier to the animal-feed industry. Lonza produces the vitamin K3 by a process called CeTECH, for which Lonza has the exclusive worldwide license. CeTECH is an electrochemical, cerium-based oxidation technology that is said to be cleaner and more environmentally friendly than conventional cromium-based processes. The new plant is designed to produce 400 m.t./yr.