CIECH has completed the contracting process for the entire volume of soda produced in the Polish and German factories of the Group. Soda ash and sodium bicarbonate will reach about 400 customers worldwide, including the largest global industrial companies. The negotiated prices enabled CIECH to cover the rapidly increasing cost of raw materials, and the strong demand from flat and packaging glass manufacturers makes delivery certainty a key criterion for customers. The CIECH Group is the largest producer of soda ash in the region of Central and Eastern Europe and the second largest in the European Union.

In the soda business, the vast majority of European contracts are concluded for annual periods. Contracts are usually concluded in the period between October and January. In addition to light and heavy soda ash and sodium bicarbonate, the CIECH Group offers its customers – frequently the largest global companies from the FMCG sector and leading glass manufacturers – specialised logistics services.

Recent months have brought movements in the global soda market – the change in China's position from an exporter to an importer has resulted in a change in global flows of this raw material and a smaller supply in Europe, where the available production capacity is already used to a very high extent. According to estimates by external expert centers, the size of the change in China's demand (a shortage of more than 3 million tons per year) may correspond to half of the annual demand for soda in Western Europe.

- We were able to negotiate prices that allow us to cover the more expensive raw materials and we have secured the margin level. In times of uncertainty, customers tend to appreciate reliable delivery and service. We observe great interest in our soda in India, Central Asia and even China, which assures us of the global increase in demand in this market. Additionally, with some clients we have established mechanisms to protect the margin level in the event of changes in the prices of raw materials – says Adam Czarnul, Head of the soda business in the CIECH Group.

In 2022, soda ash from the Polish and German plants of the CIECH Group will reach about 400 customers worldwide. Half of the soda ash used on a global scale is a raw material intended for the production of glass. It is also used in the production of washing and cleaning agents, and more widely in the chemical industry.

Soda ash is also used in the rapidly growing segments of the production of lithium-ion batteries, solar panels and sodium silicates. According to forecasts, the demand for this raw material will grow at a rate of approx. 3-4% annually in the coming years.

A stronger increase in demand is forecast for sodium bicarbonate (at the rate of 4-5% per year in the coming years). It is a higher margin product, used in the production of food, feed, cosmetics and preparations for exhaust fume purification, and in its version with the highest physiochemical parameters – also in the production of medicines and in dialysis.

- We are pleased with the high reputation of our sodium bicarbonate, which is asked by customers from Japan, Korea and African countries. It is an increasingly important growth factor for us, mainly due to the faster growing demand with a significantly higher margin, compared to soda ash. In addition, thanks to its highest quality, the product from the soda factory in Stassfurt is intended for, among others, medical applications. Approval processes are currently underway at individual clients from the pharmaceutical industry - adds the head of the soda business.

Currently, CIECH is the second largest producer of sodium bicarbonate in the European Union. Thanks to the expansion of the factory in Stassfurt, the Group's capacity increased in by approx. 50 thousand tonnes per year (up to approx. 200 thousand tonnes), and CIECH is now able to produce the highest-quality types of sodium bicarbonate.

Apart from soda ash and sodium bicarbonate, CIECH, as part of its soda business, also produces calcium chloride used, among others, in winter and summer (anti-dust) road maintenance. 

Kontakt:

Mirosław Kuk, Rzecznik Prasowy Grupy CIECH

miroslaw.kuk@ciechgroup.com, tel. +48 723 66 86 86.

CIECH to międzynarodowa, rozwijająca się grupa chemiczna z silną pozycją na rynkach globalnych. Jest drugim producentem sody kalcynowanej i oczyszczonej w Unii Europejskiej, największym producentem soli warzonej w Polsce, największym dostawcą krzemianów sodu w Europie, największym polskim producentem środków ochrony roślin oraz wiodącym w Polsce producentem pianek poliuretanowych. Posiada fabryki w Polsce, Niemczech i Rumunii oraz zatrudnia ponad 3 tysiące osób w całej UE.

Od 2005 roku spółka CIECH S.A. notowana jest na Giełdzie Papierów Wartościowych w Warszawie, a od 2016 roku, równocześnie, na jednej z największych giełd w Europie - Börse Frankfurt. Rozwój Grupy wspiera inwestor strategiczny – Kulczyk Investments.

Jako jeden z największych polskich eksporterów, CIECH wysyła swoje towary na niemal wszystkie kontynenty. Powstają z nich artykuły niezbędne w codziennym życiu milionów ludzi na całym świecie, dlatego Grupa jest ważnym elementem wielu gałęzi gospodarki – budownictwa, motoryzacji, rolnictwa, przemysłu chemicznego, spożywczego czy farmaceutycznego.

CIECH łączy nowoczesne podejście do biznesu z dbałością o zrównoważony rozwój. Od 2020 roku jest członkiem United Nations Global Compact – największej na świecie inicjatywy skupiającej przedsiębiorstwa odpowiedzialne społecznie, środowiskowo i ekonomicznie.

Więcej informacji o Grupie CIECH można znaleźć na stronach www.ciechgroup.com oraz www.ciechdlagospodarki.pl.