CIECH Group at the World Soda Ash Conference in Athens: a fast track to sustainable soda production

CIECH Group - the second-largest producer of soda ash and baking soda in the European Union, participated in the annual, largest conference for producers of these raw materials. The event, held in Athens from October 10 to 12, 2023, remains the most important gathering for both soda ash producers and buyers. During this year's edition, Kamil Majczak, the President of the Management Board of CIECH S.A., presented the Group's track for reducing the carbon footprint in production and discussed the implementation of CIECH's ambitious climate goals.

At the conference in Athens, several hundred participants discussed, among other topics, the demand for soda and its role in the ongoing energy transition. A significant aspect of the discussions was the efforts undertaken by global producers to reduce the emissions of the energy-intensive soda ash production process. For instance, the so-called Solvay method requires significant amounts of thermal energy. CIECH's production plants obtain this energy from coal combustion (facilities in Poland), as well as from gas and waste (facility in Germany). CIECH Group's commitment, as outlined in its ESG strategy, is to reduce the carbon footprint in production processes, mainly for soda ash, and achieve climate neutrality in its business operations by 2040.

Kamil Majczak, in his presentation titled "A Fast Track to Sustainable Production", delved into the topic of achieving ESG strategy objectives. The CEO of CIECH S.A. discussed CIECH's commitment to reducing CO2 emissions by 63% by 2033 (compared to 2019). This commitment aligns with the declaration submitted as part of the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), which CIECH joined in 2021. The initiative was established by the United Nations Global Compact, Carbon Disclosure Project, World Resources Institute (WRI), and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The project aims to set climate goals for individual companies based on scientific knowledge and regular progress monitoring. Companies participating in SBTi aim to limit the increase in global warming to well below 2°C and continue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C (compared to the pre-industrial era) in line with the Paris Agreement. CIECH was one of the first industrial groups in Poland to join this initiative.

In his presentation, Kamil Majczak emphasized the intention to utilize sustainable energy sources in energy production processes (including biomass, solar and wind energy, waste, and nuclear and hydrogen-based energy in the future). Currently, CIECH is collaborating with an external partner to construct a thermal waste processing facility in Inowrocław, aimed at reducing coal consumption, and concurrently, making preparations for the integration of biomass. Another significant element in reducing the carbon footprint is the improvement of the soda production process itself, which has remained largely unchanged since the mid-19th century. This includes proprietary R&D solutions in areas such as the capture of CO2, resource conservation, production process automation and digitization.

Together with international scientific institutions, the CIECH Group is also working on the development of an entirely new soda production method that aims to achieve a negative CO2 balance in the technological process.

More information about the CIECH Group's ESG strategy can be found at www.esgciech.com.

Żaneta Przybylska, CIECH Group's PR Department

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CIECH is an international developing chemical group with a strong position on global markets. It is the second-largest manufacturer of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate in the European Union, the largest manufacturer of evaporated salt in Poland, the largest supplier of sodium silicates in Europe, the largest Polish manufacturer of plant protection products, and a leading producer of polyurethane foams in Poland. Its factories are located in Poland, Germany, and Romania, and it employs over 3,000 people throughout the EU.

Since 2005, CIECH S.A. has been listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, and since 2016, simultaneously, on one of the largest stock exchanges in Europe - Börse Frankfurt. The development of the Group is supported by its strategic investor - Kulczyk Investments.

As one of the largest Polish exporters, CIECH ships its goods to almost every continent. They are used to manufacture products necessary in the everyday lives of millions of people around the world. That is why the Group is a crucial element of numerous sectors of the economy - construction, automotive, agriculture, chemical, food, and pharmaceutical industries.

CIECH combines a modern business approach and care for sustainable development. Since 2020, it has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact - the world's largest initiative that brings together socially, environmentally, and economically responsible businesses.