Solvay Chemicals, Inc. has commissioned and brought online one of the world's only dedciated manufacturing facilities that reclaims and transforms sodium carbonate waste streams into a marketable grade of sodium bicarbonate. The new product, SOLVAir® Select 300, is ideally suited for flue gas and emission control aplications.

"Today represents more than five years of hard work and collaboration across two continents between a talented group of Solvay engineering and manufacturing professionals," commented Vincent De Cuyper, General Manager of the Solvay Group's Chemicals Sector and member of the executive committee. "We achieved an environmental and technical milestone within our industry and underscored Solvay's commitment to being at the forefront of sustainable Chemistry."

The patent pending manufacturing process delivers a two-for-one environmental benefit by reclaiming wastes that would otherwise be shipped to a detention pond, and also by creating product that directly helps coal-fired power plants reduce SO2 and other acid gas emissions. The unique process remanufactures the waste stream and economically recovers the sodium carbonate, transforming it into a sodium bicarbonate product with performance characteristics that are well suited for desulfurization applications.

"With ever tightening emission control standards and even greater demand for energy, our power generation customers are seeking new and cost-effective solutions for their operations," explained Mike Wood, SOLVAir Products Senior Business Manager. "The new SOLVAir Select 300 grade of sodium bicarbonate gives our customers the performance attributes required for demanding pollution control applications."

There are currently 29 coal-fired power plants under construction in the US with another 25 in development.* For these generators and existing operators, there is a great deal of interest in and demand for a wider array of pollution control options. SOLVAir Select 300 extends Solvay Chemicals'portfolio of SOLVAir pollution control solutions. This suite of products based in trona, soda ash, sodium bicarbonate, sodium sulfite and hydrogen peroxide chemistries targets SO2, SO3, NOx, mercury, HCL and particulate emissions.