Wacker building silicone compounds plant in Czechia

Munich, Germany – Wacker Chemie AG is investing a ‘low triple-digit million-euro’ amount in a new silicone specialties production facility at Karlovy Vary in western Czech Republic, Wacker announced 11 Jan.

The German-based supplier cited megatrends such as electromobility, renewable energies and the expansion of electricity grids, as the main drivers for the silicones expansion project.

Set for production in 2025, the facility is expected to create up to 200 jobs by 2028 and is designed to produce 20 kilotonnes per annum of custom-made silicones at full capacity.

Initially, the site will focus on the production of room-temperature-vulcanising speciality silicones, with production slated for 2025.

The production of high-temperature-vulcanising silicone compounds will be added at the site at a later stage, Wacker added.

The new site is intended to complement Wacker’s existing integrated production sites in Germany – namely Burghausen and Nunchritz –, as well as its other Czech facility in Pilsen, which is specialised in electromobility.

Raw materials required for production - polymers, fillers and additives - are to be delivered from Burghausen and mixed in Karlovy Vary to manufacture ready-to-use silicones.

“By bundling our production capacities for compounds in Karlovy Vary, we can utilise our fully continuous plants in Burghausen even better,” said Thomas Koini, president of the Wacker Silicones.

The move will also enable the group to increase its efficiency and accelerate the “planned automation of processes”, Koini added.

Furthermore, Wacker intends to focus production at its site in Pilsen on silicone gels and thermally conductive silicones, which are in high demand in the electromobility sector.

“Karlovy Vary will be an important pillar for our silicone activities in Europe, especially when it comes to the production of customised silicone compounds,” said Wacker executive board member Christian Kirsten.

The project, according to Kirsten, will create “important conditions” for Wacker to further optimise its production processes.

According to Kirsten, Wacker’s grades of silicone rubber “are in demand in all key growth markets.”

In particular, customised silicone elastomers are needed where conventional materials cannot or can no longer meet ever-increasing requirements.

“In order to be able to meet the growing demand for such solutions in the long term, we need to lay the groundwork for it now,” the Wacker official added.

Development work on the site is set to begin shortly, with construction scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2024, subject to approval by the authorities.