Europe: Solvay is investing in its Livorno, Italy site to launch the company's first unit of circular highly dispersible Silica (HDS). The HDS product is made from bio-based Sodium Silicate derived from rice husk ash, creating a local, circular solution for the material. Production is set to begin by the end of 2024, with renewable energy helping to reduce CO2 emissions per ton of Silica by 50%, making Solvay's European site one of the best-in-class for carbon footprint when it comes to Silica production.

Solvay is committed to providing a more sustainable solution for the tire industry with the introduction of their new circular HDS portfolio, which will replace its existing Zeosil range. This innovation has the potential to reduce the sector's CO2 emissions and make better use of sustainable materials.

Solvay is making history as the first company to commit to circular Hydrogenation-Dehydrogenation (HDS) production in Europe. The company is aiming to build an entire ecosystem that will make HDS accessible on the international market. To ensure consistency, Solvay will be utilizing its proprietary process of rice husk ash. Title partner Continental has also joined this revolutionary endeavor to create a sustainable future.

“Silica is essential for the high performance of our tires. And with Solvay’s biocircular Silica, our tires will at the same time become more sustainable. It reduces the overall carbon footprint and increases the share of renewable materials in our tires,” stated Claus Petschick, head of sustainability, Continental Tires. “Rice husk is an agricultural by-product that was not used for tire production until very recently. Soon they will take us one step closer to our goal of 100% sustainable materials in our tires by 2050 at the latest.”

Solvay is set to take a significant step forward in expanding its HDS capacity by planning to construct a new plant in North America within the next few years. This will increase the company's presence in the country and further contribute to Solvay's carbon neutrality roadmap. The facility is going to be tailored towards circular raw materials and Solvay is also investigating additional projects for circular HDS in Asia and South America.

“Building on our constant drive for progress and innovation, the launch of our circular HDS in Europe is just the first step in a longer-term project that will enable us to offer a circular solution to tire manufacturers and other industries across the world, as we continue to reinvent progress with our Silica offering,” stated Ilham Kadri, CEO, Solvay.