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Solvay completes coal phase-out at US Green River soda ash plant
21/2/2024
News
A switch to natural gas power at the Green River soda ash plant in Wyoming, US, confirms operator Solvay’s commitment to its coal phase-out initiative.
The Green River facility produces soda ash (sodium carbonate) and sodium bicarbonate from trona, a naturally occurring mineral. These products are used in numerous applications, including flat glass for building insulation, container glass, detergents, animal feed, food and flue gas treatment, as well as markets for solar panels and lithium carbonate for electric vehicle (EV) batteries.
The plant historically used coal as a primary energy source. However, Solvay’s global sustainability goals include a commitment to phase out coal for energy production before 2030.
The company announced plans in November 2022 to resume the construction of a 600,000 tonne soda ash capacity expansion at Green River, put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the facility by 20% compared to 2021, despite a 25% increase in production. Completion of a new terminal at the port of Vancouver in early 2026 will support this expanded capacity.
According to CEO Philippe Kehren, in addition to the coal phase-out, Green River is to soon deploy innovative technology to further reduce its emissions, reporting that Solvay will be ‘the first company to implement regenerative thermal oxidation to abate greenhouse gas emissions in a trona mine’.
Solvay operates seven soda ash plants worldwide. Beyond Green River, coal is being phased out at two plants located in France and Germany. The company claims that, by the end of 2024, its Rheinberg, Germany, site will become the first soda ash plant in the world to be powered primarily with renewable energy. At the last two Solvay plants using coal for energy production, located in Spain and Bulgaria, Solvay has partially introduced biomass and gas.
