Solvay announces that it is studying the construction of an epichlorohydrin production plant in Taixing, China, with an initial capacity of 100,000 tons per year. The plant, which is expected to start producing in 2013, will be based on Solvays innovative Epicerol® technology. The company has already reserved a construction site in Taixing Economic Development Park.

The plant is set to serve the rapidly growing Chinese epichlorohydrin market, which currently represents 29% of the world market. Epichlorohydrin is an essential feedstock for the production of epoxy resins, increasingly used in applications such as corrosion protection coatings as well in the electronics, automotive, aerospace industry or wind turbine industry.

"We look forward to serving the largest epichlorohydrin market in the world, by bringing the benefits of our environmental sustainable technology based on a renewable resource as raw material, to China", comments Filipe Constant, General Manager of the Solvay Business Unit Electrochemistry and Derived Specialties. "By investing in a world-class Epicerol® plant in China, Solvay reaffirms it is a key player in this business", adds Bruno Jestin, Head of the Business Unit Organic Products of Solvays Strategic Business Unit Electrochemistry and Derived Specialties.

Solvays Epicerol® technology is based on the transformation of glycerin obtained as by-product from the production of biofuels out of vegetable renewable oils. Production of biofuels and thus glycerin as byproduct is expected to continue to show strong growth. In order to secure supply of other raw materials for the plant, Solvay has signed a letter of intent with SP Chemicals Taixing, a large chemicals producer, to study the feasibility of a chlor-alkali supply by SP Chemicals.

Compared to the traditional propylene based production process of epichlorohydrin, the Epicerol® technology reduces the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 70%, divides water consumption by ten while dividing the volume of chlorinated by-products by eight. This technology is protected by 38 patent families, many of them already granted in China and in other countries.