Tata Chemicals Magadi Soda Limited (TCML) is set to triple the capacity of its soda ash plant in Magadi, Kajiado County in a Sh3.61 billion ($28 million) expansion drive, supported by improving global demand for the commodity.
As part of the project, TCML will expand and modernize its Trona soda ash manufacturing plant to handle 1 million tons of product per year, up from the current 300,000 tons.
“There are facilities associated with this project, including a 10-megawatt (MW) solar power plant that will be constructed and used to supply energy,” the company said.
“Construction activities are planned to take approximately 18 to 24 months including pre-commissioning and commissioning phases. Main construction activities are currently expected to begin in the third quarter of 2025 and will be completed with the plant becoming operational in mid-2027. .
The expansion comes amid steady growth in demand for soda ash driven by consumption in China. Market data shows that in 2023, global soda ash demand grew by 2.7 percent or 1.8 million tons – mainly driven by Chinese users.
Demand for soda ash is expected to grow supported by automotive and building glass. Demand for this commodity is also fueled by greater demand for solar glass as more households, businesses and industrialists turn to solar energy to reduce costs and achieve reliable and stable energy supply.
This provides a boon to soda ash producers who may benefit from demand by expanding production as global production of the commodity was largely flat in the four years to 2022, weighed down by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
TCML said that in line with the expansion, it plans to install new, larger dredgers to help recover larger quantities of raw materials from the surface of Lake Magadi.