Orion Engineered Carbons Opens New Line in Italy for Specialty and Technical Rubber Customers

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Orion Engineered Carbons (NYSE:OEC), a specialty chemical company, has commissioned the first new reactor for carbon black production in the European Union in over 40 years at its plant in Italy, and this week will begin commercial sales with the line.

The new 25-kiloton line at the facility in the northern city of Ravenna produces both specialty and technical rubber carbon blacks, primarily for the European market.

“The new line offers customers seeking long-term solutions a unique strategic opportunity to align with a dependable plant that has been operating for more than 60 years in Europe,” Orion CEO Corning Painter said.

Additional investments at the plant include a new co-generation facility to convert waste heat into electricity, generating up to 120 MWh of electricity per year. Seventy percent of the electricity is supplied to the national grid, serving about 30,000 households. Orion is a net exporter of electricity in Europe and worldwide.

About Orion Engineered Carbons

Orion Engineered Carbons (NYSE:OEC) is a leading global supplier of carbon black, a solid form of carbon produced as powder or pellets. The material is made to customers’ exacting specifications for tires, coatings, ink, batteries, plastics and numerous other specialty, high-performance applications. Carbon black is used to tint, colorize, provide reinforcement, conduct electricity, increase durability, and add UV protection. Orion has innovation centers on three continents and 14 plants worldwide, offering the most diverse variety of production processes in the industry. The company’s corporate lineage goes back more than 160 years to Germany, where it operates the world’s longest-running carbon black plant. Orion is a leading innovator, applying a deep understanding of customers’ needs to deliver sustainable solutions. For more information, please visit orioncarbons.com.

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