Evonik to Increase Precipitated Silica Production at Charleston Plant by 50%

Evonik, the world's leading silica manufacturer, will invest in the expansion of its precipitated silica plant in Charleston, USA.

The new production line will meet high demand, especially from the North American tire industry, and make Evonik's partners' supply chains in the region resilient through local silica sourcing.
Silica is a key ingredient in fuel-efficient tires and other products such as toothpaste or paint.  The group is investing a mid-double-digit million Euro amount. Construction of the new production line is scheduled to begin in mid-2024. Operations will begin in early 2026.

"North America is an important strategic growth region for us," said Maike Schuh, Evonik's chief financial officer for the Americas. "With our investment in Charleston, we are strengthening our strategic customer-centric approach and improving our cost and sustainability position. Evonik is investing in innovative and green solutions and technologies to deliver superior sustainability benefits to our customers. With the new Charleston production line, the company will increase the precipitated silica capacity at the plant by 50%."

"With this expansion, our state-of-the-art Charleston facility becomes the premier center for precipitated and sustainable silica products in North America," said Lauren Kjeldsen, Head of the Smart Materials Division, which includes the silica business.

Evonik has a clear roadmap to carbon neutrality for its Charleston facility. Emmanuel Auer, Head of the Silica Business Line: "The commercial and technical teams have worked closely together over the past few years to develop a strong expansion concept, which we will now implement. By combining Evonik's silicon dioxide with a low carbon footprint Silicon Technologies, this expansion will contribute to the achievement of our sustainability goals. It underlines Evonik's commitment to science-based goal initiatives," said Auer.

The Charleston expansion meets demand for a local tire supply chain. Additionally, the company plans to introduce recycled raw materials to manufacture ULTRASIL Silica to meet the tire industry's sustainability goals.