HISTORY AND SHAREHOLDERS

The first factory for soda ash as per the method “Solvay” is built in Bulgaria in 1954. It is with not a big capacity and today it doesn’t exist anymore.

The new factory Sodi gets into operation in 1974. It is built just next to the old one - in Devnya, 2 kilometers away from the Black Sea port Varna-West, which is accessible for ships with tonnage up to 45 000 tons. Energy raw materials are delivered from here and the finished production is exported. The factory is in immediate proximity to its natural raw materials rock-salt, limestone and water.
Sodi is privatized in 1997. Today 98 % of the company’s capital belongs to Solvay Sisecam Holding. Its main shareholders are the international industrial group Solvay with headquarters in Brussels, Belgium with two main sectors of activity: Chemistry and Plastics; Sisecam group based in Istanbul – the largest glass company and major manufacturer of chemical products in Turkey.
In 2000 Solvay Sodi acquired Thermo-electric power-station Deven, Provadsol and Devnya Varovik (joint venture with Devnya Cement), companies, which provide the basic raw materials for the soda production – steam, brine and limestone. For these ten years there has been a significant development of Solvay Sodi and its subsidiaries. There is present a constant growth of production, considerably improved are also the financial-economical results of the companies. Serious funds are invested in the production capacities.

INVESTMENTS
300 million BGN for the last 3 years (2007-2010).

The investments within the framework of the 3 year investment programme of Solvay Sodi (2007 – 2010), amounting to about 300 million BGN for the increase of the production capacity of soda ash from 1,2 million tons up to 1,5 million tons, include:

• Events in Solvay Sodi AD: a new line for heavy soda, a new distillation column with low level of emissions and low energy consumption, a new settling tank, a new graduation tower for the revolution cycle, a new carbonization column, a new limekiln, overbuilding of Padina cinder-settling tank and other new facilities and equipment in full compliance with the best available technique and ecological standards, as well as reconstructions of the available such at total amount of about 150 million BGN.
• Events in Thermo-electric power-station plant Deven: a boiler with circulating fluidized bed with emissions to levels completely compatible with the European standards, an installation for bulk processing materials, coal torches, a sleeve filter towards boiler 2, an electrostatic filter in boiler 6 and other new equipments and reconstruction of the available such to total amount of about 150 million BGN.

Production

Production method
In 1861 Ernest Solvay, a person with exceptional interest towards the science, the research activity and the new technologies, developed the revolutionary ammonia method for production of soda ash. The product is obtained synthetically from raw materials, which are met in abundance in nature (limestone and salt), and from energy (steam).
The soda ash is the main raw material for the glass industry - 1 kilogram glass contains up to 230 grams of soda. It is also used for the production of detergents, in the cellulose-paper and the leather industry, in the metallurgy.

Solvay Sodi, Devnya is one of the largest factories in the world for production of synthetic soda ash as per the method “Solvay”. The company strives to manage the business, observing the requirements of the legislation and in spirit of understanding with the society, with care for the health and the safety of the personnel.

Board of Directors
       Guillaume Bucco - Chairman of the Board of Directors
       Frank Schneider - Vice-chairman of the Board of Directors
       Spiros Nomikos - Executive Director
       Eric Vander Vorst - Member of the Board of Directors
       Harold de Laveley - Member of the Board of Directors
       Sabahattin Günceler  - Member of the Board of Directors
       Gizep Sayin - Member of the Board of Directors
       Bozhidar Danev - Member of the Board of Directors