Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials (formerly Koura Global) has announced plans for a new manufacturing facility for its Zephex HFA 152a LGWP MDI propellant, saying that the plant will produce significantly more 152a than the first plant that was opened in 2022. The announcement does not specify the size of the increase in capacity or the size of the investment. The new facility, which will be located in Runcorn, UK, is expected to come on line in mid-2026.
In 2016, Koura presented a talk on the potential use of HFA 152a as an MDI propellant at the annual DDL meeting. Three years later, Italian pharma company Chiesi announced that it had signed an agreement with Koura with the intention of bringing an HFA 152a MDI to market by the end of 2025. The next year, Koura announced plans for the first cGMP facility to manufacture Zephex 152a.
Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials President Gregg Smith commented, “Zephex is backed by a rich, 30-year history as one of the most widely used and trusted medical propellants in the world. Our newest solution in Zephex 152a signals Orbia’s transition to a more sustainable future for respiratory inhaler applications. This plant is a strategic capital investment intended to secure global supply of our low-GWP Zephex 152a and plays an important role in enabling our customers achieve their climate goals.”
Read the Orbia Fluor press release.
