Wacker Chemie AG to Build Pyrogenic Silica Plant in Tennessee
MUNICH/CHARLESTON, TN – Munich-based Wacker Chemie AG will build a new production plant for its HDK® brand of pyrogenic silica at its Charleston, Tennessee, site. The new facility, with an annual capacity of about 13,000 metric tons, is anticipated to involve capital expenditure of some $150 million. Construction work will start in the second quarter of next year, with completion planned for the first half of 2019. This is expected to create some 50 new jobs at the Charleston site. WACKER already produces hyperpure polysilicon for the solar and semiconductor sectors in Charleston.
“The additional capacities strengthen our market position as a leading global producer of pyrogenic silica and help us to meet our customers’ growing demand,” said WACKER CEO Dr. Rudolf Staudigl. “The new plant is the next logical step toward expanding Charleston into a fully integrated silicon site in the world’s second-largest chemical market,” he explained, underscoring the investment’s strategic importance.