Plastics processor RENOLIT officially opened its new plant in Pune, India, on October 14, 2026. After fifteen months of construction, the company successfully began commercial production of geomembranes for civil engineering projects. These are used in storage reservoirs of pumped-storage hydro power stations. The facility can also produce other types of membranes, including civil tunnel membranes and specialty sealants for dam repairs. The new production facility has an annual capacity of 6,000 tons and employs around 30 people. With the new plant, RENOLIT is taking another important step in its long-term growth strategy in India while strengthening its supply capabilities for the Asia-Pacific market.

“With our new plant in Pune, we are strengthening our presence in an important market of the future. At the same time, our geomembranes make a tangible contribution to India’s energy transition. The growing importance of renewable energy and high-performance energy storage solutions offers us attractive long-term prospects for growth,” says Karsten Jänicke, CEO of RENOLIT.

Ceremonial Inauguration of the New Plant

After successfully completing the construction phase and starting commercial production in September, RENOLIT now celebrated this milestone together with employees, key suppliers, stakeholders and customers. The celebration began with a traditional Indian ceremony and concluded with a roughly 45-minute Indian cultural program featuring traditional dances from different states across India. 

Geomembranes for the Energy Transition

As part of its energy transition, India is increasingly focusing on integrated projects for storing renewable energy. These include so-called Integrated Renewable Energy Storage Projects (IREP), which combine hydropower, solar and wind power with pumped-storage technology. Large quantities of high-quality and durable geomembranes are required for the reservoirs created as part of these projects.

RENOLIT works closely in this area with Carpi Tech, a Swiss specialist in the waterproofing of hydraulic structures. The plastics processor has been producing geomembranes for many years, which Carpi Tech uses for its waterproofing solutions for pumped-storage power plants.

In this application, geomembranes must meet the highest standards. They retain the water in the reservoirs while also withstanding ground movements and the forces exerted by the water. RENOLIT’s waterproofing membranes can accommodate settlement and seismic impacts, are UV-resistant and designed to withstand extreme climatic conditions. Their service life can be up to 100 years.

Local Production Strengthens Customer Proximity and Supply Capabilities

With the new plant in Pune, RENOLIT can now manufacture geomembranes directly in India. Local production not only reduces long transportation routes but also facilitates quality control on site. This enables specific customer requirements from the Asia-Pacific market to be incorporated more directly into product development and manufacturing.

“For our Roof & Water Care market unit, the new plant in Pune is a decisive competitive advantage. Local production enables us to be closer to our customers, respond more quickly to their requirements and significantly strengthen our supply capabilities in the local market. At the same time, it creates the basis for systematically expanding our geomembrane business in the Asia-Pacific market,” says Joan Porquera, General Manager of the Roof & Water Care market unit.

Pune has been an important production site for RENOLIT for many years. Since 2010, RENOLIT WOOD-STOCK, a wood-plastic composite material for the automotive and construction industries, has been manufactured there. With the new plant, RENOLIT is now expanding its production in the region to include geomembranes.

Ambitious Construction Project Successfully Completed

The groundbreaking ceremony for the new plant took place on April 15, 2025. From the outset, a particularly short construction period was planned. According to Rahul Chivate, General Manager of RENOLIT India Pvt. Ltd. in Pune, the ambitious schedule was successfully met thanks to the international project team: “We are proud and grateful that we were able to meet our ambitious schedule. Our thanks go to everyone whose commitment helped to successfully complete such a complex project in such a short period of time.”