With supply of soda ash tightening worldwide and demand for material growing, leading US soda ash producer, FMC Wyoming Corp., is to restart its Granger Wyoming facility, bringing on an additional 250,000/tpa of capacity on stream. The Granger plant, idled in 2001 due to poor market conditions, will be re-commissioned using solution mining and first production from the operation, which relies on coal as its energy source, is scheduled for June 2005. Worldwide supply of soda ash has become increasingly squeezed in the past months. Global prices have now swung upwards by about $20-25/tonne in the past months. In Europe, prices are now Euros 180-220/tonne (ex works). This compares to Euros 160-200/tonne and Euros 150-165/tonne respectively at the end of 2004. Leading UK producer Brunner Mond is completely sold out of material for 2005.
