Chemical Park Marl

The Marl chemical park is the only anchor point that is purely a production site. There are around 100 production plants on the more than six square kilometer site of the Marl Chemical Park, most of which are in operation around the clock and are materially and energetically networked with one another. Fields with countless pipes, chimneys and buildings cover the area like a chessboard. What began in 1938 as Chemische Werke Hüls GmbH has since developed into one of the largest multi-user locations in Europe. Every year, four million tons of products from the northern Ruhr area are shipped out into the world.

A total of three large plants for the production of synthetic rubber were built north of Marl by IG Farbenindustrie AG, founded in 1925 - at the urging of the National Socialists, who wanted to become independent in the rubber sector for their armaments industry. In 1938, IG Farben together with the mining company Hibernia AG founded Chemische Werke Hüls GmbH, which specialized in the production of Buna, a synthetic rubber that is important for tire manufacture. However, the war brought production to an almost complete standstill. Only with the economic miracle did the success story of the Marl factory pick up speed again.

Existing structures were adopted for post-war production and more and more functions were combined in the plants. In the mid-1980s, the company, which now trades as Hüls AG, decided to give up heavy and basic industry and turn to specialty chemicals. Since 2007, the chemical park has belonged to the Evonik industrial group, one of the world's leading specialty chemicals companies.

In addition to Evonik and its subsidiaries and affiliated companies, 17 other companies are now located on the site of the chemical park. A total of around 10.000 people work on the site. 55 kilometers of roads and 100 kilometers of railways, 30 kilometers of pipe bridges and 1.200 kilometers of pipelines make the Marl Chemical Park with its 900 buildings Evonik's largest production site. The location covers its energy requirements with two of its own gas-fired power plants and a coal-fired power plant on the canal; he also operates two sewage treatment plants. Among other things, the chemical park is connected to the European road, rail and waterway network with its own port. Visits to the chemical park are only possible by prior arrangement.

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