Brussels, September 30, 2013--- Solvay, a world leader in Soda Ash and Bicarbonate, announces today that it plans to build South-East Asia’s largest sodium bicarbonate plant. Located in Thailand and with a total capacity of 100,000 ton per year, this new facility will help meet the growing demand for high quality products from the region’s dynamic healthcare and food markets.
Solvay will invest 20 million euros in the plant due for start–up in the first half of 2015 to supply its high-quality BICAR® product range* throughout the region. The plant will be located on Solvay's existing site in Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate (Rayong province, Thailand) and will consequently benefit from strong synergies in infrastructure, utilities and supply chain.
The plant will use Solvay's new generation BICAR® production technology which minimizes waste generation, optimizes energy recovery and maximizes yield. The project is fully supported by the Board of Investment in Thailand.
“This project is the latest illustration of Solvay’s sustainable growth strategy in Asia and reinforces our global leadership in sodium bicarbonate and soda ash. The new plant will provide a fast, secure and reliable supply of our BICAR® products to the healthcare and food industries within the region,” says Pascal Juéry, President of Solvay Essential Chemicals.
Further to this expansion in Asia, Solvay continues to reinforce its manufacturing network in Europe with recent investments in Dombasle (France) and Torrelavega (Spain). Both factories received GMP Pharma and CEP certifications according to recent changes in European Pharmaceutical legislation.
*BICAR® is a high-quality range of products used in a variety of industries, including food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and in industrial applications.
As an international chemical group, SOLVAY assists industries in finding and implementing ever more responsible and value-creating solutions. The Group is firmly committed to sustainable development and focused on innovation and operational excellence. Solvay serves diversified markets, generating 90% of its turnover in activities where it is one of the top three worldwide. The group is headquartered in Brussels, employs about 29,000 people in 55 countries and generated 12.4 billion euros in net sales in 2012. Solvay SA SOLB.BE) is listed on NYSE Euronext in Brussels and Paris (Bloomberg: SOLB.BB- Reuters: SOLBt.BR).
