Evonik plans new silica production facility in US

Wesseling, Germany - Evonik Industries is to build a world-scale facility for the production of precipitated silica at a location near to major tire plants in the south east of the US, the company announced 26 May.

Basic engineering has started for the project, which is focused on meeting increasing demand for the reinforcing filler in the North American tire and rubber manufacturing industries, an Evonik press statement explained.

The project, which represents an investment in the “upper double-digit million Euro range” is due for completion in late 2017. The scheme, however still needs the approval of the relevant bodies.

" In planning this new silica plant, we are preparing our largest North American investment of the past five years," Klaus Engel, chairman of Evonik commented in the release. 

The US plan is part of a global capacity-expansion programme for silica started five years ago, added Johannes Ohmer, management member of Evonik’s resource efficiency segment.

“Interest in energy-saving tires is continuously growing in North America. That’s why we are planning to build the plant close to our customers-the large tire manufacturers," Ohmer said. 

Between 2010 and 2014, Evonik increased its global capacity for precipitated silica by around 30 percent. In September 2014, Evonik put into operation a plant expansion at our US facility in Chester, Pennsylvania for an additional annual production capacity of around 20 kilotonnes (kt).   

Overall, the company has a global annual capacity for precipitated and fumed silica as well as matting agents of around 550kt.