Ineos and MOL turn to sanitisers in Covid-19 fight
Companies using existing or newly built facilities to fight the spread of coronavirus across European nations
UK-based shale and chemicals giant Ineos and Hungarian oil and gas player MOL are each making hand sanitisers to help European nations battle the spread of the Covid-19 disease.
MOL has transformed its Almasfuzito plant — located by the Danube River on the border with Slovakia — into a hand-sanitiser facility in only one week and is producing some 50,000 litres per day.
MOL is also starting production of the sanitisers in Slovakia and Croatia, to produce another 50,000 litres a day.
"In light of the worsening pandemic situation we have, in co-ordination with the Hungarian government, decided to put a production line at one of our plants in the service of offering protection against the virus,” chief executive Zsolt Hernadi said.
Meanwhile, Ineos also plans to produce 1 million hand sanitisers per month to help with the European shortage.
“These will be produced according to World Health Organization specifications and be specifically designed to kill bacteria and viruses,” the company, led by British billionaire founder Jim Ratcliffe (pictured), said.
Ineos said it intends to produce both standard and “pocket bottle” hand sanitisers and is already talking to retail outlets across Europe.
Supplies to UK's National Health Service (NHS) hospitals will be free of charge for the period of the crisis, with the public being able to purchase bottles through retailers, the company said.
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