In addition to its soda ash and chromium chemicals operations, Şişecam produces Vitamin K3 derivatives and sodium metabisulfite in Turkey, USA, Italy, Bulgaria, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Şişecam is world's 2nd largest producer of soda ash. As the world’s fourth largest chromic acid producer, Şişecam is a global leader in sodium dichromate and basic chromium sulfate production.
In 1969, Şişecam began producing soda ash, a key raw material in the glass industry, at its Mersin Soda plant. In 1982, the Kromsan Chromium Compounds plant was commissioned. This facility provides input to over 100 different sectors, from detergent production to the chemicals industry, leather to pharmaceuticals.
In 1997, Şişecam made its first foreign investment in the chemicals sector by acquiring the privatized Sodi soda plant in Bulgaria. In later years, Şişecam expanded its foreign investment portfolio to include Cromital, a producer of chromium chemicals based in Italy, and Lukavac Soda Plant, a producer of soda based in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
In 2019, Şişecam entered into a production partnership with an equal shareholding structure to make a natural soda investment with a total production capacity of 2.7 million tons/year in the USA. In 2021, Şişecam and Ciner Group expanded the scope of their cooperation and changed the structure of their partnership. As part of the new investment plan, Şişecam became a 60 percent shareholder by acquiring an additional share in Pacific Project. In addition to that, Şişecam also purchased majority shares in the Atlantic Project and Ciner Resources natural soda ash production facilities of Ciner Group in Wyoming and undertook the management of these investments. With the new structure of the partnership, the 2 strong companies will realize a natural soda ash investment of approximately 4 Billion USD in total in the US. With this strategic move, Şişecam-controlled soda ash production capacity will exceed 10 Million metric tonnes, comparing to the existing capacity of 5 Million metric tonnes today. With the investments that will include the establishment of the largest soda ash production facility in a single location, Şişecam is expected to become the largest natural soda ash producer in the United States.
Besides soda ash and chromium chemicals, Şişecam produces Vitamin K3 derivatives and sodium metabisulfite. In 1999, Şişecam commissioned Oxyvit Kimya, a company set up to produce value-added fine chemicals. Oxyvit Kimya also introduced Vitamin K3 production technology to Turkey. Operating in the Mersin-Tarsus Organized Industry Zone, Oxyvit Kimya is Europe's only Vitamin K3 producer. Thanks to further capital investments in its facility, Şişecam included sodium metabisulfite and sodium bisulfite in its production portfolio in 2007. With these key industrial products, the Company serves numerous sectors, including food, textiles, mining, water treatment, construction chemicals and leather. In the global market, Oxyvit Kimya is especially preferred by customers who have a perception of high quality and use products originating from Europe.
Şişecam operates under the Responsible Care, a voluntary initiative in the chemicals industry, complying with environment, health, and occupational safety regulation systems. Şişecam exports its chemicals products to over 100 countries around the world.
