Elkem technology to support Saudi speciality silicone joint venture

Lyon, France – Elkem’s “exclusive agent and distributor” for silicone products in Central Europe, Middle East and Africa, Silstar, has entered into a joint venture initiative with Saudi Multichem, to establish an “integrated speciality silicones supply chain” in Saudi Arabia.

While Elkem is not a direct participant in the JV, the initiative will rely on the Norwegian supplier’s silicone technologies to formulate specific solutions for key industrial sectors, said Elkem 20 Oct.

Through the JV, Elkem said it will support the localisation of silicone-based products in Saudi Arabia, contributing to “more sustainable and responsive supply chains.”

“We help accelerate the localisation of processing and distribution, improve delivery speed, shelf life and inventory availability for customers in the GCC region,” said Laurent Dumont, VP global business at Elkem.

The move, he said, will also help reduce the environmental footprint of long-distance logistics.

The joint venture will focus on local processing and distribution of silicone-based materials, including compounds, defoamers, RTV-1 elastomers, and speciality fluids.

The products, according to Elkem, are used in critical applications in Saudi Arabia’s growing industrial landscape, such as oil & gas; energy and construction.

In oil & gas, Elkem said, silicone antifoaming agents are used for upstream and downstream operations while the materials provide electronics protection for photovoltaic systems in the energy sector.

In construction, silicone sealants are used for glazing, facades and insulation.