DuPont Announces Global Plans to Expand Titanium Dioxide Capabilities

WILMINGTON, Del., May 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- DuPont (NYSE: DD) today announced a comprehensive titanium dioxide expansion plan which will add about 350,000 metric tonnes of global capacity and strengthen the company's capability to meet the increasing demand from its customers. The expansion includes new production facilities at the company's Altamira (Mexico) site as well as additional investments to improve the productivity at its other titanium dioxide sites around the world.  

The new line at the Altamira site, at an investment of over $500 million (USD), is scheduled for completion by year-end 2014 and will provide approximately 200,000 metric tonnes of new capacity per year.  Facility upgrades under way at the company’s five titanium dioxide manufacturing sites will continue over the next three years, yielding an additional 150,000 metric tonnes of capacity.

DuPont is recognized as the global leader in titanium dioxide, a white pigment widely used in the coatings, paper, plastics and laminates industries. The capacity expansion and continued focus on science-powered innovations will further enable DuPont to deliver high-quality titanium dioxide to meet rising consumer expectations for quality goods.

"This expansion and upgrades of our facilities allow us to rapidly adapt to changes in the marketplace and consistently meet the ever-changing demands of our customer base," said DuPont Titanium Technologies President BC Chong.  "Adding capacity at our Altamira site in Mexico as well as improving our existing uptime and production rates at all sites is a vital part of our strategy to help our customers succeed.  By increasing capacity, we will ensure a sustainable supply for customers and partners to help secure their success in the marketplace."

In addition to this expansion of existing manufacturing sites, DuPont will continue to identify capacity options including continued commitment to the current Dongying (China) greenfield plan and other opportunities around the world.  

DuPont Titanium Technologies is the world's largest manufacturer of titanium dioxide, serving customers globally in the coatings, paper, plastics and laminates industries.  The company operates plants at DeLisle, Miss.; New Johnsonville, Tenn.; Edge Moor, Del.; Altamira, Mexico; and Kuan Yin, Taiwan; all of which use the chloride manufacturing process.  The company also operates a mine in Starke, Fla.  Technical service centers are located in Paulinia, Brazil; Mexico City, Mexico; Mechelen, Belgium; Dzerzhinskiy, Russia; Kuan Yin, Taiwan; Ichon, Korea; Shanghai, China; Hyderabad, India; and Wilmington, Del., to serve the Latin American, European, Middle Eastern, Asian and North American markets.

DuPont (www.dupont.com) is a science-based products and services company.  Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere.  Operating in more than 90 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.

Forward-Looking Statements:  This news release contains forward-looking statements based on management's current expectations, estimates and projections.  All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the company's strategy for growth, product development, market position, expected expenditures and financial results are forward-looking statements.  Some of the forward-looking statements may be identified by words like "expects," "anticipates," "plans," "intends," "projects," "indicates," and similar expressions.  These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions.  Many factors, including those discussed more fully elsewhere in this release and in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by DuPont, particularly its latest annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q, as well as others, could cause results to differ materially from those stated.  These factors include, but are not limited to changes in the laws, regulations, policies and economic conditions, including inflation, interest and foreign currency exchange rates, of countries in which the company does business; competitive pressures; successful integration of structural changes, including restructuring plans, acquisitions, divestitures and alliances; cost of raw materials, research and development of new products, including regulatory approval and market acceptance; seasonality of sales of agricultural products; and severe weather events that cause business interruptions, including plant and power outages, or disruptions in supplier and customer operations. The company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements as a result of future developments or new information.

SOURCE DuPont