Solvay officially broke ground for the construction of a new state-of-the art facility that will produce Highly Dispersible Silica (HDS). The new plant represents a €75-million investment that will create more than 50 new jobs and expand the company's HDS capacity by 85,000 tons per year.Located in central Poland, close to key energy distribution and the recently completed Warsaw-Gdansk highway, the new facility built on a plot of 8 hectares will offer local logistical supply benefits to Solvay's customers in Eastern Europe and Russia. The site at which the new plant will be located is a designated special economic zone (SEZ) and will be integrated within the industrial complex of Anwil, a subsidiary of the Polish refining and energy company PKN Orlen Capital Group, one of Central Europe's largest refiners of crude oil.
"Our new Włocławek facility represents Solvay's focus on the future and underscores our unyielding commitment to accompany our customers growth – not only in Eastern Europe and Russia, but also around the world," said Tom Benner, President of Solvay Silica. "The site will help us dramatically increase the capacity of some of the most advanced and innovative HDS technologies in the world, including new generation products like Zeosil Premium. It also illustrates how we are reinforcing our global competitive position and strengthening our technological and market leadership."
Solvay Silica is the inventor and leading global provider of highly dispersible silica, which finds its main application in the production of energy-saving tires. Silica is also used in a wide range of other key markets such as industrial applications, personal care and nutrition.
Solvay Group group is headquartered in Brussels, employs about 29,000 people in 55 countries and generated 12.4 billion euros in net sales in 2012.
