KINGSPORT — Eastman Chemical Company’s footprint in Kingsport is about to get bigger.
The chemical company announced a joint venture on Friday with Accsys, a London-based company, to construct and operate an acetylated wood facility formed as Accoya USA LLC in Kingsport.
Eastman will hold 40% ownership in the joint project, an email from Eastman Director of Corporate Communications Betty Payne said. The project will bring 300 construction jobs to Eastman’s Kingsport manufacturing site over the next 20 months, according to the email, and more than 70 permanent chemical operator, business, wood handling, trucking and maintenance positions for Accoya. The project is expected to be completed in early 2024 with a projected cost of approximately $136 million.
“We are committed to continued investment in our Kingsport site and are excited to partner with Accsys to bring more high-quality, good paying jobs to this area as part of this new acetylated wood facility,” said Brad Lich, Eastman Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, in the Accsys release. “As Eastman becomes a leading sustainable materials company, this project provides an excellent opportunity to bring a new and sustainable specialty material to the U.S. building and construction industry.”
Environmental and construction permits are already secured, according to the release. The project is expected to create approximately 50 full-time jobs in its first phase, as well as additional roles as the site becomes operational.
The Accoya USA facility will be built at and connected to Eastman’s current Kingsport site. It will also serve the North American building and construction market. According to Accoya, the wood acetylation process includes subjecting a softwood to a vinegar, which turns it into a hardwood by preventing the cells in the wood from being able to absorb water. Acetylated wood makes wood harder and also immune to insects.
“Customers in North America — and globally — recognize the benefits of using Accoya instead of other woods that don’t last as long, or suffer from swelling, shrinking and cracking when wet, and the sustainability benefits compared to other materials are both clear and highly sought-after to decarbonize our built environment,” Chief Executive of Accsys Rob Harris said in the release. “Choosing and using Accoya gives people peace of mind about durability and quality, reduces the environmental impact of construction, and actually increases the carbon sink capacity of our buildings and cities.”
Accsys is the only producer of acetylated wood in the world. Sustainably-grown wood from Forest Stewardship Council-certified sources is one key raw material for Accoya production — acetic anhydride is the other. Eastman is a world leader in chemical engineering and processes, the world’s largest producer of acetic anhydride, and has extensive experience in project leadership for plant design and construction.
For more information on Accsys or Eastman, go to https://www.accsysplc.com/ or www.eastman.com.
https://www.timesnews.net/news/breaking-eastman-set-for-new-joint-kingsport-facility-with-london-company/article_6d40ecd6-9be6-11ec-b451-47ac1a0f67b0.html
