European chlorine industryChlorineChlorine is as essential to the chemical industry, as salt is to life. Of all the halogens, chlorine is by far the most abundant in nature and is the easiest to produce. More than 85% of all pharmaceuticals and more than half the products of the chemical industry depend on chlorine chemistry. These products are used in most industrial and economic sectors including:
To get an idea of the important role chlorine chemistry plays in our everyday lives, take a look at the chlorine tree. European chlorine producers manufacture around 10 million tonnes of virgin chlorine each year. The capacity for the region is currently about 12 million tonnes. More than a third is recycled - mainly as hydrochloric acid - and re-used within the production plants. Fifty-five percent of Europe's overall chemical production is directly or indirectly dependent on chlorine. Caustic sodaWith every tonne of chlorine that is produced, 1.1 tonnes of caustic soda are also made. This co-product also has a wide range of applications. More than half of the caustic soda manufactured is used in the chemical industry. The rest goes into products such as soap and textiles, or is used in water treatment, aluminium production and oil refining. Caustic soda can be easily transported throughout the world and is easy to store. Chlorine, however, is difficult to transport, so it is mainly used at the site where it is produced in a variety of downstream units such as those for VCM and PVC. The market for chlorine has reached maturity in Europe. It is, therefore, in countries with higher economic growth that an increase in demand is expected. This is mainly due to the production of PVC, which is increasing at 7-10% annual rate in the Asiatic countries. |