Norway: Raw Material Sourcing Wacker Commissions New Silicon-Metal Production Facility

Wacker Chemie's new silicon-metal production plant officially went on stream at the Holla site in Norway, following two and a half years of construction. The new furnace is one of the largest of its kind in the world and increases the Holla site’s total capacity by more than 40 %.

Related Vendors

AZO GmbH + Co. KG

Glatt Ingenieurtechnik GmbH

Donadon SDD Srl

Wacker Chemie AG

Munich/Germany; Holla/Norway — Wacker officially started production of silicon-metal at its Holla site in Norway. The silicon produced in Holla now covers about one third of the demand at the company's German sites. A total of around $ 90.5 million was invested in the new plant. Its state-of-the-art design makes the facility particularly efficient, requiring little maintenance.

The silicon-metal capacity added at this production site is a key strategic step in the company's sourcing of raw materials. Rudolf Staudigl, President & CEO of Wacker Chemie, explained that the expansion of captive production makes the company more independent of price fluctuations on raw-material markets and enhances supply security, both during times of peak demand and whenever problems might arise in relation to mounting trade barriers worldwide.

The Munich chemical company acquired the Holla site, close to the city of Trondheim, in 2010. It has been producing silicon metal there to meet its own needs ever since. Silicon metal is one of the producer’s most important raw materials. It is needed for producing silicones and hyperpure polysilicon. The company employs around 200 people in Holla.

(ID:46242981)