Annual Report 2008 English [PDF, 2.69 MB] - Tessenderlo Group

annual report 2008
Fine Chemicals
The intermediates and active ingredients for the pharmaceutical industry did not
perform so well in 2008. In addition, contrary to expectations, the ‘organic chlorine
derivates’ activity was unable to sufficiently sustain the positive trend of 2007. The
Fine Chemicals business unit was hardest hit by the impact of the weak dollar. The
competitive loss and the lower margins which were the result of this in the first half
of the year were compensated in the second half of the year.
56
Activities and products
A first segment comprises the
manufacturing of intermediates and active
pharmaceutical ingredients. The business
unit is the preferred supplier to important
international pharmaceutical companies.
Tessenderlo Group’s glycine and glycine
derivates mainly have applications in the
pharmaceutical industry.
The second segment comprises organic
chlorine derivatives, whose production is
mostly based on toluene combined with
chlorine produced by Tessenderlo Group
itself. Toluene derivatives are produced
for customers in the agro-chemical,
pharmaceutical and perfume industries.
Close cooperation between the various
Tessenderlo Group units makes it possible
to work in a highly flexible manner
1. Intermediates and active
ingredients for the
pharmaceutical industry
Trends and facts in 2008
The results for the intermediates and
active ingredients for the pharmaceutical
industry are lower than in 2007. However,
these activities performed much better
than planned in the first half of 2008
because a number of customers ordered
higher quantities than initially planned. On
the other hand, demand in the second half
of the year was lower for this very reason.
Furthermore, many customers delayed