Wacker Chemical announced today it will expand its $2.5 billion polysilicon production plant in Charleston, Tenn., to add its HDK brand of pyrogenic silica.
The $150 million addition, which is scheduled to start next spring and be completed by 2019, will add 50 more jobs to the 650 jobs already at the Wacker plant.
"The additional capacities strengthen our market position as a leading global producer of pyrogenic silica and help us to meet our customers' growing demand," Wacker CEO Dr. Rudolf Staudigl said in a statement today. "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."
The new facility adds to the Charleston site's supply chain. The main byproduct of polysilicon manufacturing is tetrachlorosilane, which either has to be converted and fed back into the production loop or can be used to create added value by being further processed into HDK
Wacker produces HDK pyrogenic silica in Burghausen and Nünchritz, Germany and Zhangjiagang, China. The Munich-based chemical company is the world's third-largest manufacturer in this sector.
Located adjacent to and integrated with Wacker's existing polysilicon plant, the new production plant will have an annual capacity of 13,000 metric tons.
"Wacker announced its plans to join the Charleston business community less than eight years ago and in that short time, it has had a significant impact on the state.," said Randy Boyd, commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. "The company's $2.5 billion investment represents the largest single investment in Tennessee's history, and we're proud to see that Wacker's continued confidence in the state's highly-skilled workforce and dedication to innovation has resulted in expanding its Tennessee footprint."
Local officials applauded Wacker on its decision to further expand in Charleston, citing a decade-long relationship with the company.
"What a great Christmas present for Bradley County," said Gary Davis, Bradley County's mayor. "This great news comes so quickly after the grand opening of the Wacker facility last spring."
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam said he met with Wacker officials during his trip to Germany last month.
"I look forward to Wacker's continued growth in Bradley County and seeing the company reach many milestones in Tennessee in the years to come," Haslam said today.