64-Million-Dollar Contract Chemieanlagenbau Chemnitz to Build Mega Chlor-Alkali Electrolysis Plant in France

Chemieanlagenbau Chemnitz has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction management contract by PVC manufacturer Kem One for developing a green chlor-alkali electrolysis plant at Fos-Sur-Mer in France. The new plant will replace the company’s existing diaphragm electrolysis plant to produce chlorine, caustic soda and hydrogen.

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CAC ENGINEERING GMBH

Glatt Ingenieurtechnik GmbH

EDL Anlagenbau Gesellschaft mbH

Chemnitz/Germany – Chemieanlagenbau Chemnitz (CAC) is constructing a chlor-alkali electrolysis plant for Europe's second largest PVC manufacturer Kem One. With an order volume of 64 million dollars, it is the largest order of this type in the history of the Chemnitz-based company.

Kem One, headquartered in Lyon, France, commissioned CAC at the end of 2021 to build a modern, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly membrane electrolysis plant to replace the existing diaphragm electrolysis plant. CAC will implement the plant at the French site in Fos-Sur-Mer as an EPCm project together with its long-standing Japanese technology partner Asahi Kasei Corporation. Specifically, it means that CAC is responsible for the basic and detail engineering, procurement and delivery, site management and commissioning support.

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The plant on the coast of southern France is to be gradually converted to sea salt in order to be able to react more flexibly to possible supply bottlenecks in the future with this independent supply of raw materials. By electrolyzing the salt, the Fos-sur-Mer plant produces chlorine, caustic soda and hydrogen. The chlorine produced is used on-site to manufacture vinyl chloride monomer, the basic substance for PVC. This material is flame retardant, insulating and resistant to chemical attack, wear and tear. It is therefore suitable for a wide range of applications in construction, packaging and medical technology.

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