Russian Soda Ash Goes To Solvay

Solvay has signed an agreement to acquire majority stakes in Bereznikovsky Sodovy Zavod and Berkhimprom, two firms that jointly own and operate a soda ash plant in Berezniki, Russia. The combined value of the stakes, currently owned by Sodium Group Investments, is about $230 million, Solvay says. The Berezniki plant is one of three major soda ash producers in Russia. Its annual capacity for light soda ash is 500,000 metric tons per year. Dense soda ash, the kind preferred by the glass industry, will be available by the end of the year. According to Solvay, company founder Ernest Solvay helped set up the Russian plant more than 100 years ago.