Evonik expanding US precipitated silica production to meet tire demand

Charleston, South Carolina – Evonik Industries AG is increasing production capacity for precipitated silica at its site in Charleston by 50%.

The group is investing a “mid-double-digit million euro amount” in the project, the construction work on which is set to start mid-year.

The new production line is expected to start operation in early 2026, Evonik announced in a 1 Feb statement.

The expanded capacity will meet “high demand” for the materials, particularly from tire industry in North America, said Evonik.

The project, said the German supplier, will help the supply-chain of Evonik partners by enabling ‘local silica sourcing’.

"North America is an important strategic growth region for us," says Maike Schuh, chief financial officer of Evonik and responsible for the Americas region.

With the expansion, the Charleston site becomes “a major hub for precipitated and sustainable silica products in North America," according to Lauren Kjeldsen, head of the smart materials division.

The project falls within Evonik’s “roadmap towards carbon neutrality” for its Charleston site.

“The commercial and technical teams have worked intensely in the past years to develop a robust expansion concept, which we will now implement," said Emmanuel Auer, head of the silica business line.

While addressing the ‘local-to-local’ demand, the expansion aims to introduce “circular raw materials” to manufacture Ultrasil-branded silica to meet the sustainability targets of the tire industry.

According to Evonik, using silica as a tire additive can reduce a conventional passenger car’s fuel consumption by up to 8%.

In North America, it added, demand for tires with reduced rolling resistance and improved fuel efficiency is “experiencing above-average growth”.

“Over the past years, Evonik has continuously invested in modern silica production updates and strategic acquisitions around the globe,” said the German supplier.

The Charleston facilities are part of a network of 18 precipitated silica production sites globally.