Tessenderlo Group is investing €50 million in its PC Loos site to build a new membrane technology based production plant and re-enter the potassium hydroxide market. The investment will replace the existing mercury electrolysis and help the company play a crucial role in the potassium hydroxide market. PC Loos is currently the largest manufacturing site of water treatment coagulants in Europe. The new plant is expected to start operating by early 2017 and the investment will also create new opportunities for further development of the site.
Tessenderlo Group will invest € 50 million at its PC Loos (Produits Chimiques de Loos) site, part of the business unit Water Treatment. The bulk of the investment will be spent on the construction of a new membrane technology based production plant, to replace the existing mercury electrolysis. In conjunction with this investment, PC Loos is planning a re-entry by Q3 2015 into the potassium hydroxide market, in which the company again wants to play a crucial role.
Tessenderlo Group is a leader in iron-based coagulants for waste water treatment plants in Western Europe, with production sites in France and Belgium. These products are used for waste water treatment and drinking water purification. It supplies hundreds of municipalities’ purification plants (including major cities such as Paris, Brussels, Geneva, Lille, etc.), as well as major industrial players. PC Loos is currently the largest manufacturing site of water treatment coagulants in Europe.
Conversion from mercury electrolysis to membrane electrolysis
The chlorine required for the production of these coagulants is currently manufactured using a process based on mercury electrolysis. However, current regulations impose the phase-out of this technology by the end of 2017. The Board of Directors of the Tessenderlo Group has approved an investment of € 50 million to build a new membrane electrolysis unit in Loos.
Start-up of the new plant is foreseen by early 2017.
Entry into the potassium hydroxide market
After a few years of absence PC Loos will re-enter the market for potassium hydroxide, a product that is used for the production of bio-fuels, de-icing agents, fertilizers, and detergents. PC Loos will again play a leading role in this market, strengthened by its favourable strategic location and important internal needs for potassium hydroxide within the Tessenderlo Group.
Further development of the PC Loos site
In addition to securing continuity for PC Loos current activities, this investment enables new opportunities for further development of the site.