Products are designed to meet demand for enhanced sustainability, more renewable feedstocks and reduced carbon footprint for the polymer, coating, adhesive, pharmaceutical and agrochemical markets.
Solvay, a leading global supplier of specialty materials, has announced that the production of its hydroquinone (HQ) and hydroquinone monomethylether (MeHQ) in Saint-Fons, France has been accredited to comply with the mass balance accounting regime of the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS system*.
HQ and MeHQ (also referred to as para-methoxyphenol, PMP) are frequently used as building blocks in the formulation of polyetherether ketone (PEEK), liquid crystal polymer (LCP) and other high-performance engineering thermoplastics. They also serve as raw materials in epoxy and polyester coatings, in polyurethane adhesives, and as inhibitors for monomer stabilization during production, storage and transportation. Further industrial application areas include the synthesizing of rubber chemicals, pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. The vast majority of companies in those industries have set ambitious goals seeking to reduce the carbon footprint of their products and minimize fossil feedstock depletion.
“As a leading producer of HQ and MeHQ, offering mass balance certified grades exemplifies our strategic commitment to drive the change towards high-quality, sustainable solutions as the polymer and chemicals industry is transforming from a linear to a more circular economy,” says Jo Grosemans, Solvay Natural Growth Director.
Solvay’s certified renewable Hydroquinone MB and MeHQ MB products provide an instant and easily implemented drop-in solution for customers to replace incumbent fossil feedstock based synthetic grades, without any need for time-consuming homologation and sampling or other modifications in storage and production. The replacement of primary fossil resources by responsibly-sourced and mass-balance certified renewable feedstocks aligns with the Solvay One Planet roadmap to continuously improve the sustainability of Solvay’s own operations (Scope 1, 2 and 3), as it also helps customers reduce their Scope 3 emissions.**
* Mass balance accounting according to the ISCC PLUS regime has become a globally acknowledged industry standard that defines a clear set of rules for tracking and tracing the content of circular and renewable feedstock in materials and end products. As a result, users of certified materials across the entire value chain can claim a measurably reduced carbon footprint for their formulations.
** Within the framework of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP), Scope 1 refers to direct emissions from in-house production processes, Scope 2 to indirect emissions from purchased energy, and Scope 3 to all other indirect emissions from upstream and downstream sources, such as material supplies, packaging and transportation.
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Solvay has obtained ISCC PLUS mass balance certification for the production of Hydroquinone MB and Methyl Hydroquinone MB at Saint-Fons, France. (Photo courtesy: Solvay)
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Solvay is a science company whose technologies bring benefits to many aspects of daily life. With more than 21,000 employees in 63 countries, Solvay bonds people, ideas and elements to reinvent progress. The Group seeks to create sustainable shared value for all, notably through its Solvay One Planet plan crafted around three pillars: protecting the climate, preserving resources and fostering better life. The Group’s innovative solutions contribute to safer, cleaner, and more sustainable products found in homes, food and consumer goods, planes, cars, batteries, smart devices, health care applications, water and air purification systems. Founded in 1863, Solvay today ranks among the world’s top three companies for the vast majority of its activities and delivered net sales of €10.1 billion in 2021. Solvay is listed on Euronext Brussels (SOLB) and Paris. Learn more at www.solvay.com.
