Haldor Topsøe A/S (Lyngby, Denmark; www.topsoe.com) is currently in the process of establishing a production facility in Brazil. The facility will focus on manufacturing catalysts that can remove dangerous nitrogen oxides (NOx) as well as particulate matter and hydrocarbons from the engine exhaust of diesel vehicles such as buses and trucks.
Recently, Topsøe leased two buildings in an industrial park located in Joinville, Santa Catarina and work is now ongoing to obtain necessary regulatory approvals and place orders for production equipment. The goal is to get the facility up-and-running within the coming year.
“Establishing production locally is an important prerequisite for us to realize our full potential in Brazil, but also other parts of Latin America. Brazil is officially encouraging that import of parts is converted into local production – and backs it up with concrete incentives. For instance, if the local content of a heavy duty vehicle exceeds 70%, financing will be granted at a subsidized interest rate. Moreover, import duties on catalysts from abroad will increase and thereby create a strong incentive to establish production on Brazilian ground,” says Bjerne S. Clausen, CEO of Haldor Topsøe A/S.