Not a member? Sign up
Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany) has invested in a plant expansion for precipitated silica at its site in Charleston, South Carolina. The new line is satisfying the high demand in particular from the tire industry in North America and makes the supply chains of Evonik partners in the region resilient by enabling local silica sourcing.
Silica is a key ingredient for fuel-efficient tires and other products like toothpaste or coatings. The group is investing a mid-double-digit million Euro amount. The construction of the new production line is scheduled to begin in mid-2024. Operations will start in early 2026.
“With this expansion, our Charleston facility becomes a premier hub for caused, sustainable silica products in North America,” said Lauren Kjeldsen, manager of the Smart Materials division, which includes the silica business.
Evonik has established a transparent roadmap to carbon neutrality for its Charleston site. “The technical and sales groups have been working intensively over the past few years to expand a forged expansion concept, which we will now implement,” says Emmanuel Auer, head of the silica business line. “The expansion will contribute to achieving our sustainability goals by combining the positive footprint of Evonik’s silica technologies with a low carbon footprint. This underlines Evonik’s commitment to the Science Based Targets initiative,” says Auer.
The expansion to Charleston addresses the need for local tire supply chains. In addition, the company plans to introduce circular raw materials to manufacture ULTRASIL Silica to meet the tire industry’s sustainability goals.
Silica is a key element for fuel-efficient tires, reducing fuel consumption by up to 8 percent compared to traditional passenger car tires. In North America, demand for tires with lower rolling resistance and higher fuel horsepower is growing above average.
In recent years, Evonik has consistently invested in modern silica production upgrades and strategic acquisitions around the world to further improve its business. The Charleston facility is part of a network of 18 silica production sites around the world.
Chemical engineering and content published weekly.