Solvay expands HDS production by 30 %

The site is located in a designated Special Economic Zone (SEZ) integrated within the industrial site of Anwil, a subsidiary of the Polish refining and energy company PKN Orlen. The completion is expected in the third quarter of 2014.

Among other HDS products, the new plant will produce Zeosil Premium, which is used in the production of energy-saving tyres and decreases fuel consumption by up to 7 %, according to Solvay. Tyre labelling regulation has led to a four-fold increase in Zeosil Premium adoption over the past year, says the company, and it expects the strong growth trend to continue.

Furthermore, Solvay announced it will also add HDS production capacity to its Qingdao plant in China, which started-up in 2010. This expansion is already underway and scheduled for completion by the end of 2013. It will elevate the capacity of the site to 112,000 t/y.

These two investments will increase the company’s global HDS production capacity by approximately 30 %. Upon the completion of these projects, Solvay’s annual HDS production capacity will stand close to 500,000 t.