MOSCOW (MRC) - American Westlake Chemical said it will soon sell "green" caustic soda, which emits 30% less carbon dioxide during its production, the company said.
Westlake President and Chief Executive Officer Albert Chao said the company wants to obtain an environmental compliance certificate for the production of caustic soda using this technology in Europe. Green caustic soda has the same properties as regular sodium hydroxide. The difference lies in the use of renewable energy sources in the production process.
“We buy renewable energy in Europe that combines fossil fuels and coal,” said Albert Chao. “The use of renewable energy sources reduces CO2 content,” he said. The company said these efforts are part of its ongoing efforts to ensure sustainability, although the timing of the project's launch has not yet been clear.
Earlier it was reported that Westlake Chemical in the second half of March resumed production at its complex in Calvert City (Calvert City, Kentucky, USA), which was closed due to a winter storm earlier. A Westlake Chemical facility in Calvert City, Kentucky was hit by a winter storm in mid-February. The company's production capacity at this complex is 250,000 tonnes of chlorine, 280, 000 tonnes of caustic soda, 590,000 tonnes of VCM and 592,000 tonnes of PVC.
Earlier it was reported that the March production of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) amounted to 118,000 tonnes (100% of the main substance) against 98.4 thousand tons a month earlier. In the first three months of the year, the total production of caustic soda amounted to 329,400 tonnes, which is 0.7% less than the same indicator of the previous year.
The main caustic soda producers in the United States are Olin, Occidental Chemical, Westlake Chemical, Shintech, and Formosa Plastics.
Westlake Chemical Corporation is an American manufacturer and supplier of petroleum products and polymers headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company's products include ethylene, polyethylene, styrene, propylene, caustic, polyvinyl chloride and plastic products.
MRC