A redesign is about to happen in the 60 Million metric tonne global soda ash industry with a game-changing investment plan by Şişecam and Ciner Group. The Turkish-origin global companies will jointly invest 4 Billion USD in the United States soda ash market. With the planned investment, Şişecam will become one of the world’s biggest soda ash producers in terms of capacity.
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Şişecam, a global player in the chemicals and glass industries, and its partner Ciner Group, one of the largest players in the soda ash industry, leap forward the strategic step they took in 2019 in the field of natural soda ash, to a new phase. The companies, who became development JV partners in the natural soda ash project based in the US 2 years ago, are expanding the scope of their cooperation and changing the structure of their partnership.
Şişecam and Ciner Group have been development JV partners in the Pacific natural soda ash development project since 2019. As part of the new investment plan, Şişecam will become a 60 percent shareholder by acquiring an additional share in the Pacific Project. In addition, Şişecam will also purchase a 60 percent share in the Atlantic Project and Ciner Resources, the existing natural soda ash production facility of Ciner Group in Wyoming.
Ciner Resources Wyoming Plant, built in 1962, has been in production ever since with current production capacity of ~2.5 Million metric tonnes/year. The Pacific and Atlantic development projects with a targetted combined production capacity of ~5 Million metric tonnes/year is expected to start production during 2025 and is planned to gradually reach full capacity by 2027
Prof. Ahmet Kırman, Chairman of Şişecam remarked that the investment, which is the largest investment made in the US by Turkish companies ever, is also one of the largest investments made abroad from Turkey. “With these investments, Şişecam’s controlled soda ash production capacity will exceed 10 Million metric tonnes, comparing to the existing capacity of 2.5 Million metric tonnes today. The plan also includes the establishment of the largest soda ash production facility globally in a single location.”