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One of the last items of equipment for the Grace silica plant is lifted into place (Photo: ©CAC) After a 12-month construction period, the topping-out ceremony for the silica plant is celebrated on the site (Mike Niederstadt, managing director CAC, Stephen William Addison CEO Grace, from right to left) (Photo: ©Grace)

Chemieanlagenbau Chemnitz GmbH (CAC) is building a new silica production plant for Grace GmbH, a global producer of specialist acids, at its Worms site.

After a construction period lasting 12 months to the day, on 04/06/2019 CAC and Grace celebrated the topping-out of the new plant at the chemicals park in Worms. CAC bears overall responsibility for all stages, from planning to turnkey handover of the major project in the second quarter of 2020. The steel and block work is almost completed and the equipment largely installed. Work is currently underway to install the approximately 800 pipelines. In addition, this year has also been accident free, with nearly 90,000 working hours.

The basis for the project planning is the existing production and plant know-how from an existing production site in the US. Grace GmbH, which is headquartered in Columbia/Maryland, USA, plans to use this plant at its main European site for production, research and development to cover the rising demand for colloidal silica (silicon dioxide). Silicon dioxide is used in a wide range of industrial applications such as catalysts, functional coatings and precision casting. “We are very appreciative of the trust that Grace has placed in us to realise its major European project, an investment in the double-digit millions,” states Mike Niederstadt, managing director of CAC. “Since the study in 2016 we have worked closely with Grace to implement this complex project and we are delighted to now also be constructing the plant together.”

Grace GmbH
The research, development and production site in Worms, Germany, that opened in 1972 has evolved into a centre of excellence for the manufacture of silicon dioxide as well as catalyst and adsorption technologies. Grace is a leading global provider of catalysts and technical materials. The two business segments of catalyst and materials technologies offer innovative products, technologies and services that improve the products and processes of customers worldwide. With a workforce of around 3,900, Grace supplies customers in over 70 countries.