UK chemicals giant Ineos to make hand sanitiser in virus fight

British chemicals giant Ineos will produce over a million bottles of hand sanitiser monthly to meet chronic shortages of the product crucially needed to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, it said Tuesday.

It follows similar moves by makers of alcoholic drinks, with Guinness-producer Diageo having jumped on board Monday.

“There is a critical shortage of hand sanitisers across Europe,” Ineos said in a statement.

“Ineos will build a UK factory to produce one million bottles per month within 10 days and will replicate this in Germany,” the company said, adding that hospitals would receive free hand sanitiser.

Ineos said it “is the leading European producer of the two key raw materials needed for sanitisers — isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and ethanol.

“The company… will now build two new factories to make hand sanitiser from them,” it added.

Noting that “Ineos is a company with enormous resources and manufacturing skills”, group founder Jim Ratcliffe, a British billionaire, added:

“If we can find other ways to help in the coronavirus battle, we are absolutely committed to playing our part.”