Solvay Adds New Thermoplastic Composite Capacity

Solvay announced today that it has completed the installation of a new thermoplastic composite (TPC) production facility at its Greenville site in South Carolina. At full production capacity, the new line will add more than 30 positions at the 27,000 square-meter facility.

The project represents an important milestone in Solvay's efforts to industrialize TPC capacity. A significant driver for the state-of-the-art facility is rising demand from energy companies supported by increasing aerospace and automotive demand. The new product line will have the capability to produce unidirectional composite tape from a range of high-performance polymers including PVDF, PPS and PEEK.

Mike Finelli, president of Solvay's growth platforms, said: "The TPC solutions produced at our Greenville facility will help our energy, aerospace and automotive customers achieve improved environmental responsibility by making cars and planes lighter and thereby reducing emissions."

"Our new capacity and differentiated technologies will enable us to grow alongside our customers as TPCs gain momentum in an increasing number of applications and play an important role in the energy transition."

The Greenville facility is part of a series of strategic investments made recently in line with the Group's commitment to building the necessary infrastructure for its growing TPC market. Other recent commitments to the sector include two new R&D centers in Anaheim (CA), Brussels (BE) and Alpharetta (GA), and Solvay's membership in the TPRC consortium.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster said: "Solvay's expansion is another example of the unique success that companies find in South Carolina. We thank Solvay for its continued partnership with our state and look forward to their future growth in Greenville County and beyond."

With the commercialization of the Greenville facility, Solvay is uniquely positioned with proprietary technologies that ensure the company positions the right product for the right application.

Solvay's TPC portfolio includes Evolite™, which offers reliability and lower total cost of ownership in markets such as energy and automotive, and APC tapes, which offer significant weight and cost advantages in aerospace and urban air mobility applications.