Solvay (Brussels, Belgium) today announced the construction of a new plant for highly dispersible silica in Gunsan, South Korea. The plant is expected on-stream in 2017 and will have 80,000 tons/year of capacity. Output is intended for energy saving passenger car and truck tire compounds. The facility, which is located in the Saemangeum zone, close to Gunsan in Jeollabuk-do province, will over time replace an important part of the current capacity at Solvay’s silica site in Incheon, which is located in area designated for future residential development.
“This new production platform will be dedicated to silica innovations for Asia. Together with the Silica research facility, part of Solvay’s new R&I Center at the Ehwa University Campus in Seoul, we are well placed to speed up innovations in close cooperation with our regional customers,” said An Nuyttens, President of Solvay’s Silica GBU.