The plant, which will be fully powered using renewable electricity, will convert hydrogen peroxide into an ultra-high purity grade to clean the silicon wafers necessary for making the semiconductors, which are essential components in electronic devices.

“This investment will grow our presence in the North American semiconductor market,” said CEO Ilham Kadri. “The new facility will help us to further tap into increasing demand from the domestic electronic industry, and our local customers will likewise gain even better access to our products and services. This will help us meet their increasing demand for chemicals that are essential for cleaning and etching large-scale integrated circuits and semiconductors.”

Solvay has bought 25 acres of greenfield land within Casa Grande’s Central Arizona Commerce Park and construction of the first production line is scheduled to begin in 2023. Future expansions will be built as needed to support customer demand. The facility will also create 30 full-time jobs.  

The Belgian group announced in March this year that it was exploring options to split into two publicly listed companies. If the plans proceed, the spinoffs will take effect in the second half of 2023. One of the spinoffs would include Solvay’s peroxides, soda ash, silica, specialty chemicals and Coatis businesses, while the other would comprise specialty polymers, composites and most of its solutions segment, which includes Novecare, technology solutions, aroma performance and oil & gas.

Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist