Univar builds cleanroom at plant in France
A filtered and pressurised air supply will provide atmosphere to maintain clean filling conditions
Univar is building a new facility to expand its capacity for white oils handling and distribution.
The US fine chemicals company says the investment will enable it to meet its expanded agreement to distribute ExxonMobil’s white oil brands Marcol and Primol across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The plant is scheduled to open in Lieusaint, France in June and will include a €600,000 atmosphere-controlled cleanroom, or white room, for filling, handling and distribution of the highly refined hydrocarbon product. The Class 100 cleanroom will be supplied and installed by Conditionaire, based in Paris, France.
The white room will include a high efficiency particulate filter system, which generates more than 400 changes of the internal air per hour. In the heart of this room there will be a hygienic stainless steel filling machine, supplied by Pack'R, which will include quick change parts.
The plant will operate under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines. Univar says it will also introduce an in-house analytical department to maintain the highest standards of quality assurance.
White oils are used in the manufacture of pharmaceutical, food and personal care products, as well as having a number of industrial applications. These are currently produced at the Esso France refinery, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil in Notre Dame de Gravenchon, France.
Sheila Mowatt, Univar’s vice president, Supply Chain Operations EMEA, said: “The new white oils contract has been signed at a time when we are looking to reduce our reliance on outsourced providers. We have first class facilities and people at Univar and we are actively looking to give our customers and suppliers added value by using our extensive asset base.”
