Specialty chemicals manufacturer Evonik Corporation said Tuesday that it has finished an expansion project at its Mobile, AL production plant to increase the site’s capacity for sodium methylate to 90,000 mt/yr.

“As the demand for alkoxides grows in the region, we are confident that the expansion of our production unit and logistic operations solidifies our leading position in North America. With our local production and a network of transloading terminals around the country, we are ensuring that we can reach our partners reliably and competitively,” said Julio Canever, business director North America, Business Line Functional Solutions, in a company release. “With this strategic investment, we are convinced that our service offering and product availability will even further improve.”

The company initiated the expansion in response to increasing use of biodiesel and the EPA’s definitions for decarbonization. Additional capacity at the Mobile plant will also support the performance chemicals and life science markets.

“In addition to the importance of the improved offering in North America, the new capacity in the US also contributes to Evonik’s global positioning as a key player in the alkoxides market and supports our global supply chain network,” Alexander Weber, vice president and global head of marketing and sales for Evonik, said in a statement.

Evonik currently operates two other sodium methylate production sites in Germany and Argentina.

The value of global market for sodium methylate is expected to hit $237 million by 2026, according to a forecast by Fior Markets.