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Brussels, July 1, 2015 --- Solvay is hosting a ceremony to mark the production launch of Highly Dispersible Silica (HDS) at its new state-of-the-art plant in Wloclawek, Poland, to address strong and growing regional demand for energy saving tires.
Polish authorities and other dignitaries present at the ceremony welcomed the coming on stream of the plant. With 85,000 tons of annual capacity dedicated to Solvay’s latest HDS technologies it will create more than 100 jobs in the Pomeranian region. Guests included Governor of Kujawsko-Pomorskie Province Ewa Mes, Marshal of Kujawsko-Pomorskie Province Piotr Calbecki, Vice President of Wloclawek Dorota Grabczyńska, Vice Minister of Environment Janusz Ostapiuk, as well as Belgian Ambassador Colette Taquet.
“From this plant Solvay will deliver customers in Central and Eastern Europe its latest breakthrough tire solutions which contribute to cleaner and more competitive mobility,” said An Nuyttens, President of Solvay’s Silica Global Business Unit. “Through its global market reach, innovation capabilities and increasing number of applications in passenger and truck tires, Solvay is best-placed to meet growth opportunities in improving their performance and in lowering CO2 emissions.”
The site will produce the most advanced grades of HDS, a reinforcing agent in the tire rubber that reduces a vehicle’s fuel consumption by as much as 7 percent. Solvay’s HDS brands include Zeosil® PREMIUM and Efficium®, another Solvay Silica invention, which helps tire makers to raise productivity levels for both car and truck tire compounds.
With Wloclawek, Solvay’s Silica has a strong global footprint with 9 sites close to customers across Europe, South America, North America and in Asia. In South Korea, Solvay is building a plant which will also produce Efficium® and, once on stream, raise Solvay’s annual silica capacity by close to 50 percent between 2014 and 2016.
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Contact:
Vincent ROLLIER - Solvay Silica
vincent.rollier@solvay.com
+33 4 37 91 81 13
As an international chemical group, SOLVAY assists industries in finding and implementing ever more responsible and value-creating solutions. Solvay generates 90% of its net sales in activities where it is among the world's top three players. It serves many markets, varying from energy and the environment to automotive and aeronautics or electricity and electronics, with one goal: to raise the performance of its clients and improve society's quality of life. The group is headquartered in Brussels, employs about 26,000 people in 52 countries and generated 10.2 billion euros in net sales in 2014. Solvay SA (SOLB.BE) is listed on EURONEXT Brussels and EURONEXT Paris (Bloomberg: SOLB:BB - Reuters: SOLB.BR).
Solvay Silica is the inventor of Highly Dispersible Silica (HDS) in the 1990's and a key player in energy-saving tires. Its innovative solutions provide tire manufacturers worldwide with the means to progress in sustainable mobility. With nine manufacturing sites and four R&I laboratories on as many continents, Silica also offers a range of applications in personal care, such as toothpastes and exfoliating beads, in animal nutrition, high-performance membranes and in rubber reinforcement.
