Key Events Affecting Business Performance

After shutting down production at our site in Charleston, Tennessee (USA) in September 2017, we gradually resumed production in May 2018, reaching full production capacity in December.

Acquisitions

In April 2018, WACKER acquired a production site in Amsterdam (Netherlands) for biopharmaceuticals from SynCo Bio Partners Luxembourg S. à. r. l. On acquiring the site, WACKER also took over the associated business operations. The two lines there have a total capacity some 1,800 liters. As a result, WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS’ total capacity has doubled. Through the acquisition, WACKER aims to continue strengthening its position as a contract manufacturer of biopharmaceuticals.

Divestitures

WACKER did not divest any business fields or product business in 2018.

Capital Expenditures

Capital expenditures increased year over year, as planned. They amounted to €460.9 million in the reporting year (2017: €326.8 million).

The focus of WACKER’s investing activities was on our three chemical divisions, with several projects in different countries. In 2018, our Charleston production site in Tennessee (USA) continued construction work on a facility. This project alone accounted for some €55 million. In Holla, Norway, we are expanding production facilities for metal. Investment there was around €45 million in 2018. In Ulsan, South Korea, we are building new production facilities for and . About €30 million of the project’s total budget of some €65 million was spent in the reporting year. In León, Spain, we completed the modernization of a large-scale fermentation plant. The investment in 2018 for this project amounted to about €8 million. Additionally, WACKER invested in a series of small- and medium-scale projects for intermediates and downstream products, and in infrastructure measures, especially at our fully integrated sites in Burghausen and Nünchritz.

Polysilicon
Hyperpure polycrystalline silicon from WACKER POLYSILICON is used for manufacturing wafers for the electronics and solar industries. To produce it, metallurgical-grade silicon is converted into liquid trichlorosilane, highly distilled and deposited in hyperpure form at 1,000 ° C.
Fermentation
In biotechnology, fermentation means the conversion of biological materials by means of bacterial, fungal and cell cultures, or by the addition of enzymes. For example, products such as insulin, many different antibiotics and amino acids (e.g. cysteine) can be synthesized on an industrial scale in bioreactors using microorganisms.
Silica, Pyrogenic
White, synthetic, amorphous silicon dioxide (SiO2) in powder form, made by flame hydrolysis of silicon compounds. Variously used as an additive for silicone rubber grades, sealants, surface coatings, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
Silicon
After oxygen, silicon is the most common element in the earth’s crust. In nature, it occurs without exception in the form of compounds, chiefly silicon dioxide and silicates. Silicon is obtained through energy-intensive reaction of quartz sand with carbon and is the most important raw material in the electronics industry.
Dispersions
Binary system in which one component is finely dispersed in another. VINNAPAS® dispersions are vinyl-acetate-based copolymers and terpolymers in liquid form. They are mainly used as binders in the construction industry, e. g. for grouts, plasters and primers.
Dispersible Polymer Powders
Created by drying dispersions in spray or disc dryers. VINNAPAS® polymer powders are recommended as binders in the construction industry, e.g. for tile adhesives, self-leveling compounds and repair mortars. They improve adhesion, cohesion, flexibility and flexural strength as well as water-retention and processing properties.

todo Vorjahresvergleich