The Devnya site is the largest European soda ash plant, meeting the highest ESG and technological standards
Solvay Sodi, a joint-venture between Solvay and Sisecam, is hosting an event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its presence in Devnya, Bulgaria, where considerable investments turned the plant into a global reference point for the soda ash and sodium bicarbonate industry.
The Solvay event will be attended by Mr. Rumen Radev, President of the Republic of Bulgaria; Mr. Nikola Stoyanov, Minister of Economy and Industry in Bulgaria; Mr. Frédéric Meurice, Ambassador of Belgium; other representatives of the government, Solvay leadership and employees, and other guests.
The celebration ceremony will highlight the major investments made to modernize, grow and diversify the production while improving the environmental footprint of the plant including 24% water savings achieved in 2021. Since November 2022, 20% of the greenhouse gas emissions related to energy production have been cut thanks to biomass co-firing and further CO2 emission reductions will be achieved in the coming years with the recently announced Devnya Energy project to power the plant with more non-fossil fuels.
“We are proud of what has been achieved at our Devnya soda ash plant over the past twenty five years, and we will keep raising the bar,” explained Ilham Kadri, Solvay CEO. “Devnya plays a key role in our soda ash business and we’ll continue investing in its growth and in its decarbonization. We aim at serving our valued customers in a sustainable, reliable and competitive way."
"Solvay Sodi is one of the biggest industrial companies in Bulgaria and actively supports local projects in the field of education, culture and healthcare,” added Spiros Nomikos, Solvay Sodi CEO. “In order to ensure our presence in the next decades, we are working on the implementation of an ambitious energy transition roadmap to reduce our CO2 emissions by at least -30% by 2030. I’m convinced we will succeed in all this with the great support of our partners and employees.”
"Thanks to the tireless management, the application of sustainable management models and the hard work of all employees, we can all be proud that Solvay Sodi is the largest soda ash plant in Europe," said Rumen Radev, President of Bulgaria. In his greeting, the head of state noted the company's high ambitions and its drive for improvement, as well as the fact that it is an example of implementing green policies. "We value your work and support your efforts," added the president.
About the Devnya Soda Ash Plant
Solvay Sodi’s soda ash plant in Devnya is the largest of its kind in Europe and one of the biggest in the world. It responds to the growing global demand for soda ash and sodium bicarbonate and offers a secured and sustainable supply of these products. Soda ash is an essential product for manufacturing glass for building, automotive, solar panels and lithium carbonate for batteries, as well as detergents and chemicals; while sodium bicarbonate is essential in the health care, food, animal feed and flue gas cleaning markets.
Since its establishment, the company has invested around €800 million to expand its capacity while optimizing its operations through the implementation of innovative, environmentally-friendly and efficient technologies, which are the main engine for sustainable growth and characterize the company's contribution to the development of the Bulgarian economy. This resulted in significant reductions in terms of air pollutant emissions, energy use for production, water consumption and CO2 emissions, as well as a safer place to work.
Solvay Sodi continues striving for improvements and has set long-term ambitious goals to further improve its sustainability and competitiveness. It is accelerating its energy transition plans to phase out coal by 2030 and to reach carbon neutrality before 2050, which include amongst others a biomass cofiring project (in operation since October 2022) and building a thermal processing plant for alternative fuels. This conversion of the plant is an important step in the company’s commitment to phase out the use of fossil fuels and reduce its CO2 emissions, while improving waste management and reinforcing Bulgaria’s energy independence.
Biomass cofiring project
Thermal processing plant for alternative fuels
The Devnya plant won the 2021 Bulgarian Investment Agency’s "Investor in Enlargement" award. It meets the highest European environmental and technological standards and its new unit is certified as a Class A investment. The site covers 80 hectares and employs around 550 employees, plus another 600 workers through its contractors. It is well-rooted in the region and committed to ambitious social and environmental goals, while supporting local communities notably through the Solidarity Fund.
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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 roadmap crafted around three pillars: protecting the climate, preserving resources and fostering a 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 and Paris (SOLB). Learn more at www.solvay.com.
Solvay Sodi (Devnya) is one of the largest industrial enterprises in Bulgaria and the largest plant in Europe for the production of soda ash and sodium bicarbonate. Soda ash is widely used in the manufacture of glass, detergents, metallurgy, silicates and glass fibers. Sodium Bicarbonate serves the markets of food, animal nutrition, flue gas treatment and healthcare. Solvay Sodi was privatized in 1997, with the Belgian science group Solvay (75%) and the Turkish group Sisecam (25%) as major shareholders.
