SODA ASH

Production According to the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Mineral Commodity Summaries 2024, domestic production of soda ash (sodium carbonate) in 2023 was estimated to be 11 Mt, slightly less than in 2022, for a total market value of $1.9 billion. The U.S. soda ash industry consists of four companies in Wyoming, operating five plants, and one company in California (Searles Valley Minerals Inc.), operating one plant. The combined nameplate capacity of the five operations is 13.9 Mt/a. China was the world’s largest producer of soda ash (29 Mt), followed by Turkey and the United States. These three countries produced around 78 percent of the world’s soda ash in 2023. Consumption According to the USGS, the reported consumption of soda ash in the United States in 2023 was around 4.5 Mt, slightly less than in 2022. Nearly half of the total soda ash developed in 2023 (approximately 47 percent) went into glass products, with about 29 percent used in chemicals and the remaining for soaps/detergents, fluegas desulfurization, distributors and paper. Exports and imports During 2023, the United States exported about 6.6 Mt of soda ash, more than one-half of its total production, according to USGS statistics. The United States only imported around 8 kt of soda ash, most of which came from Turkey. Pricing The free on board plant price of soda ash in the United States increased from $133/t in 2021 to an estimated $180/t in 2023. The upswing was mainly attributed to supply constraints because of trade disruptions through the Panama and Suez Canals. According to ChemAnalyst, the price in the U.S. market is expected to be relatively stable in the short term because of reduced inventory levels and modest downstream demand. Trends and outlook U.S. production, consumption and exports in 2023 were lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019. Production was slightly lower in 2022, while exports increased slightly. Future Market Insights and Market Research Future project the global soda ash market to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 4 percent until 2030. The key drivers for the growth include the rising demand for soda ash glass, soaps and detergents, and the increasing adoption of soft water. Growing environmental concerns have also led to the endorsement of soda ash to extract sulfur dioxide from stacked gases, increasing demand for the commodity.

SODA ASH

Authored by:
Debashis Das P. E.

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To view the past issues of the UCA magazine you must be a member of SME/UCA.

SALT

STRONTIUM

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