The damage to the production units and infrastructure caused by the catastrophic earth¬quake in northeastern Japan on March 11 resulted in the stoppage of pigment production in Onahama. The recovery and repair work, which began on April 4, has been completed ahead of schedule. At the same time, exceptional progress has been made in restoring the external infrastructure. Merck expects the plant will achieve its regular production output in June.
The Onahama site (southern part of Iwaki City) is located 57 km south of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, and outside the evacuation zone. Merck is continually monitoring all public directives regarding radiation levels in order to ensure the safety of its employees. The company is also testing the products being shipped from Merck Japan to ensure that they comply fully with all regulations and safety standards.
Apart from Onahama, Merck will establish an alternative production site for Xirallic effect pigments. It is planned to have additional capacity for Xirallic pigments in Germany by the end of 2011. This will considerably boost future supply reliability of Xirallic products as of 2012.
Peter Halas, Head of the Pigments & Cosmetics business unit at Merck, commented on the positive development: "Our top priority is to ensure as soon as possible an uninter¬rupted supply of Xirallic pigments to our customers around the world. The resumption of production in Onahama is a major milestone toward this objective. I would like to thank our employees in Japan for their tremendous efforts and express my appreciation for their outstanding engagement." He added: "Xirallic products remain a pillar of our Pigments business. The measures and the progress that we have made in recent weeks underscore this commitment."
