As part of its multi-year Peroxides for the Future (P4F) program, Solvay will cut its production capacity in Western Europe by 70,000 t/y as of Jan. 1, 2021. The company did not disclose at which locations it will reduce output.

However, it did does operate 10 plants in EMEA, including at Jemeppe-sur-Sambre, Belgium; Bernburg, Germany; and Voikkaa, Finland, where the company announced in July 2019 that it would expand capacity to meet rising demand in both existing and new applications.

The Belgian-based group also plans to establish production centers in new areas, closer to new pockets of demand, by using proprietary technologies, in particular MyH202, which are mini satellite plants located on customers’ sites. In addition, Solvay intends to leverage digital solutions to increase the efficiency of its supply chain.

While the overall hydrogen peroxide market remains strong, certain market segments and sub-regions have reacted differently to the Covid-19 crisis. For example, traditional segments such as printing and writing are seeing their decline accelerate while other applications’ growth has been boosted, the company said.

Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist