Company Announcements

State-of-the-art facility to optimize environmental performance of chlor-alkali production

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep. 2, 2025-- Portuguese chemical manufacturer Bondalti Chemicals has successfully started operation of its state-of-the-art chlor-alkali production facility in Estarreja, Portugal. Constructed by German engineering company CAC Engineering and using Asahi Kasei’s state-of-the-art chlor-alkali electrolysis technology, the improved plant will also be utilized for further reducing power consumption and optimizing the use of materials in the chlor-alkali industry.

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Joint Japan-Europe project team from Asahi Kasei, CAC, and Bondalti involved in the installation and operation of Bondalti's demonstration electrolyzer

Together with CAC Engineering (CAC), Asahi Kasei has installed nine chlor-alkali electrolyzers at Bondalti Chemicals’ (Bondalti) premises in Estarreja, Portugal. This project to convert the brine electrolysis unit, co-financed by the Portuguese Recovery and Resilience Plan, marks a new phase of modernization and will contribute to a significant increase in efficiency and reliability. It will also support the achievement of the ambitious decarbonization goals that are part of Bondalti's strategy.

With EU regulations on decarbonization constantly tightening, the industry is under pressure to reevaluate its power consumption and utilization of resources during the manufacturing process. At Bondalti’s new plant, one of the nine electrolyzers will also be utilized for trial runs with new components, aiming to enhance electrolyzers' environmental performance, including power reduction and resource optimization. This electrolyzer uses Asahi Kasei’s newest ion exchange membranes and electrodes that feature improved performance compared to conventional products. Electrolyzers apply an electric current that separates brine (concentrated salt water) into chlorine, caustic soda, and hydrogen which are then used in a broad variety of chemical products in different industries. In line with Asahi Kasei’s efforts to establish a circular economy within the chlor-alkali industry, used cells and electrodes from these trials will be recycled into materials for reuse in new components.

“The start-up of our new, state-of-the-art chlor-alkali plant was made possible by the expertise of our partners and the dedication and skills of our people,” comments David Lopes, Director of Bondalti. “This achievement marks a strategic milestone in Bondalti’s commitment to sustainable innovation and operational excellence and strengthens our vision of leading the way in responsible chemical manufacturing.”

“We are happy to see Bondalti’s new plant starting operation on schedule,” adds Yoshifumi Kado, Senior General Manager of Asahi Kasei’s Ion Exchange Membrane & Electrolysis System Division. “By combining Asahi Kasei’s comprehensive system know-how with CAC’s advanced engineering technology and Bondalti’s onsite knowledge, these three key players will further expand the boundaries of the European chlor-alkali industry, contributing to a more sustainable approach to manufacturing.”

“The integration of nine new electrolyzers during a running production was an exceptional technical task and a further proof of the long-standing cooperation with Asahi Kasei for over 25 years and the trustful and constructive cooperation for more than 8 years in several projects with the experienced team of Bondalti,” concludes Mike Niederstadt, COO at CAC Engineering. “The project excellently shows the advantages of combining technological innovation, operational excellence and large-scale plant engineering expertise on a constructive and cooperative basis.”

As a one-stop solution provider for the chlor-alkali industry, Asahi Kasei combines its five decades of experience in developing, manufacturing, and operating electrolysis systems and components with the operation monitoring system and software analysis services provided by Canada-based Recherche 2000, an Asahi Kasei company, and—most recently—the establishment of a metal recycling ecosystem. The company manufactures and supplies ion-exchange membranes, electrolysis cells, electrodes, and operational expertise for electrolyzer plants.

About Bondalti
Bondalti is committed to contributing to a better world through innovative and sustainable chemistry, in which energy transition plays a main role. Bondalti is in the Top 1% of the most sustainable companies in the Chemical sector (EcoVadis global ranking 2025), the largest Portuguese industrial chemistry company, the largest Iberian producer of Chlorine and the European leader in Aniline sales. Bondalti has a division in the water treatment and recycling sector. Bondalti operates industrial sites in Estarreja (Portugal) and Cantabria (Spain), logistics facilities in Aveiro, Barreiro (Portugal) and Vigo (Spain), Water facilities in Rioja (Spain), Sintra (Portugal) and Luanda (Angola), and offices in Lisbon (Headquarters, Portugal), Barcelona, Madrid, Pontevedra, Zaragoza and Logroño (Spain).

For more information, visit https://www.bondalti.com.

About Asahi Kasei
The Asahi Kasei Group contributes to life and living for people around the world. Since its foundation in 1922 with ammonia and cellulose fiber business, Asahi Kasei has consistently grown through the proactive transformation of its business portfolio to meet the evolving needs of every age. With more than 50,000 employees worldwide, the company contributes to sustainable society by providing solutions to the world’s challenges through its three business sectors of Healthcare, Homes, and Material. For more information, visit www.asahi-kasei.com.

Asahi Kasei is also dedicated to sustainability initiatives and is contributing to reaching a carbon neutral society by 2050. To learn more, visit https://www.asahi-kasei.com/sustainability/.

About CAC
Reliable and experienced, CAC is an internationally leading plant engineering company in the field of process and chemical engineering. In the business fields of Chlor Alkali, (Green) Power to X, Hydrocarbon’s and Chemical solutions CAC offers the entire range of services of a large scale plant engineering company. The enterprise is committed to driving the transition to a low-carbon economy while meeting the highest standards of performance and efficiency. Since over 25 years, CAC is developing, delivering and implementing customized solutions for chlor-alkali electrolysis plant projects by taking advantage of its long lasting cooperation with Asahi Kasei Corporation, Japan and their first-class exchange membrane electrolyzer technology. With around 350 employees, 300 at the company headquarters in Chemnitz, CAC has constructed over 500 industrial plants worldwide in the course of over 60 years.

More information about CAC ENGINEERING GMBH can be found at www.cac-chem.de.

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Bondalti Portugal contact:
Paulo Caetano
paulo.caetano@bondalti.com
+351 961 373 605

António Moreira
avmoreira@jlma.pt
+351 919 626 977

Asahi Kasei North America Contact:
Asahi Kasei America Inc.
Christian OKeefe
christian.okeefe@ak-america.com

Asahi Kasei Europe Contact:
Asahi Kasei Europe GmbH
Sebastian Schmidt
sebastian.schmidt@asahi-kasei.eu

CAC ENGINEERING GMBH contact:
Antje Wappler
antje.wappler@cac-chem.de
+49 371 6899408

Source: Asahi Kasei