Anaven, a joint venture between specialty chemicals firm Nouryon and agricultural chemicals maker Atul, recently commenced production of monochloroacetic acid (MCA) at their newly opened facility in Gujrat, India, a release announced this week. Featuring an initial capacity of 32,000 tn/yr, the new asset is the largest MCA production site in the country.

“Through this partnership with Atul, we can leverage Nouryon’s global leadership in MCA in order to meet the fast-growing demand from customers across multiple markets in India, while also continuing to drive innovation and sustainability in the region,” Rob Vancko, vice president of construction at Nouryon and chairman of Anaven, said in a statement.

MCA is used as a raw material in a range of end products, including adhesives, pharmaceuticals, and crop protection chemicals.

The facility is the world’s sole zero-liquid discharge MCA plant, according to Nouryon. Eco-friendly hydrogenation technology was also installed in the facility.

“Thanks to our partnership, we can apply Nouryon’s state-of-the-art technology in the new plant while creating forward and backward integration with our bulk and agri-chemicals businesses,” said Sunil Lalbhai, chairman and managing director of Atul, in the release. “The Anaven plant will ensure a reliable supply of a key raw material for the Indian market, giving a growing number of farmers, doctors, and households better access to daily essentials.”

Nouryon currently operates MCA production sites in China, Japan, and The Netherlands.