Solvay to build new silica plant in Poland

ERJ staff report (BC)

Brussels - Solvay announced on 13 February that it will invest €75 million to build a new 85,000 tonne per year highly dispersible silica (HDS) plant in Wloclawek, central Poland.

This, combined with a further capacity expansion at its site in Qingdao (China), will increase Solvay's global HDS capacity by 30 percent.

The Wloclawek location is designed to offer logistical benefits to customers in Eastern Europe and Russia.

Among other HDS products, the new plant will produce Zeosil Premium, said to be used by tire manufacturers for energy-saving tires. Solvay claims a drop in fuel consumption of up to 7 percent by using the material.

Solvay Silica president Tom Benner said: “Tire labelling regulation has led to a four-fold increase in Zeosil Premium adoption over the past year and we expect a strong growth trend to continue.”