Altair Chemical production sites set a benchmark for excellence in the Italian chemical industry, where innovation, safety, and sustainability are integrated into an efficient production model. Thanks to cutting-edge technologies and streamlined processes, the company ensures high quality standards while minimising environmental impact.
Each site is designed to maximise efficiency — from the production of electrolytes and chlorinated derivatives to advanced resource management. Altair Chemical continuously invests in research and development to deliver reliable, future-oriented solutions.
Commissioned in 2008, this was the first European electrolysis plant to adopt membrane-cell technology, replacing the old mercury-based process. This development significantly improved both process efficiency and sustainability.
In 2017, with a production line for caustic potash flakes was incorporated into the production site, thus strengthening its focus on innovation.
Using purified brine from sodium and potassium chloride, electric current generates chlorine, hydrogen, caustic soda (NaOH), and potassium hydroxide (KOH) — base chemicals widely used in various industrial sectors.
Owing to the RE-BORN project and a €50 million investment, the electrolysis plant was restarted in 2021 with state-of-the-art membrane-cell technology.
The new line permanently replaced the mercury-based process decommissioned in 2017, ensuring greater process efficiency and environmental performance for chlorine and caustic soda production. This renewal represents a pivotal step forward in the environmental and industrial upgrade of the site.
Alongside the main products — caustic soda and potash — the chlor-alkali process generates two gaseous co-products: hydrogen (H₂) and chlorine (Cl₂).
Hydrogen is reused internally as an energy source, improving overall process efficiency, or marketed externally as a growing energy carrier.
Chlorine requires more complex handling:
Altair Chemical manufactures chlorinated aromatic compounds (CLAR) at the Pieve Vergonte site. 90% of CLAR production is intended for the agrochemical sector and the remaining 10% for pharmaceutical use.
Main products include toluene derivatives — such as mono- and dichlorotoluenes and photochlorinated compounds — as well as xylene derivatives, such as 4-chloro-ortho-xylene, introduced in 2018.
The plant includes:
Chlorination processes were recently streamlined; the site formerly focused solely on CLAR synthesis and HCl by-products, but now it also produces advanced intermediates for the agrochemical and pharmaceutical sectors.
The Saline di Volterra site features an innovative chlorinated paraffin production plant, offering products that outperform market standards in colour, thermal stability, and electrical conductivity.
Applications include:
Saline is also home to ultra-stabilized long-chain chlorinated paraffins (C22–C30) — unique worldwide for their characteristics and performance — showcasing Altair Chemical’s commitment to innovation and process quality.
At Saline di Volterra, Altair Chemical launched Europe’s first production of organochlorines from plant-based raw materials through the Essebiochlor project. This pioneering initiative uses FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Esters) waste from the biodiesel industry to create second-generation chlorinated plasticizers.
As a EUROCHLOR member, Altair Chemical closely follows evolving regulations and eco-toxicological evaluations for chlorinated compounds, actively working to develop safer and more biodegradable alternatives.
This vision leads to our new line of chlorinated vegetable fatty acid esters, branded Essebiochlor — a major step toward more sustainable chemistry, reducing environmental impact and offering a genuine alternative to traditional chlorinated paraffins.
