Belgian chemicals group Solvay is building a new speciality polymers resin unit in the US, significantly expanding its production capacity of PEEK (polyether etherketone) and solidifying itself as a leader in the industry with a unique site presence in both the US and in Asia.

The new unit at Solvay’s Specialty Polymers site in Augusta, Georgia, is expected to come on stream in mid-2016 and, combined with the expansion already underway at the site in Panoli, India, raises Solvay’s total PEEK neat resin production capacity to more than 2,500 tonnes worldwide. Collectively, Solvay will invest more than US$85 million in these two expansions.

These investments affirm Solvay’s long term commitment to the industry to keep pace with growing demand for KetaSpire PEEK and AvaSpire PAEK. These two ultra-polymers play a major role in light-weighting, reducing energy consumption in demanding applications such as healthcare, electronics, oil & gas, aeronautics and automotive.

“This major expansion drive will make Solvay the only player in the industry to produce PEEK at two different sites in two different, growing regions,” said Augusto Di Donfrancesco, President of Solvay’s Specialty Polymers Global Business Unit (GBU). "The new plant in the US together with the one in India will provide unmatched security of neat resin supply. These investments reinforce our long-term commitment to our customers worldwide.”

The new unit will be located alongside Solvay Specialty Polymers’ existing resin and monomer production units in Augusta, and benefit from the site's proximity to the GBU’s Research & Innovation centre in Alpharetta, Georgia. The new PEEK unit will use the same processes and technologies as Solvay’s Panoli plant. Together, these units will produce resins that form the foundation for Solvay’s KetaSpire and AvaSpire products.