Our products lead the market in terms of sustainability benefits to our customers; however, we are definitely not resting on our laurels.
At WE Soda we are continuously reducing the carbon, water and waste footprint of our production processes, while looking for new ways of producing soda ash or serving our customers.
Inferior performance in these key areas will increasingly become a barrier to market entry, particularly as our customers become more focused on achieving their own sustainability targets and goals. WE Soda may be leading the way in the industry but we still continuously strive for improvement.
Carbon
Our decarbonisation strategy focuses on reducing both the carbon intensity and total emissions from our operations, with a clear commitment to cut absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 40% by 2032.
Our pathway to Net Zero prioritises the decarbonisation of heat and steam generation through renewable electrification, sustainable biomass, and the use of gas with carbon capture and storage, supported by targeted energy efficiency improvements. Central to this strategy is the phased elimination of coal across our operations, alongside investment decisions that reflect regional carbon pricing to ensure a practical and resilient transition.
For Scope 3, our process to achieve Net Zero by 2050 focuses on actively engaging our highest-impact upstream suppliers, particularly lime, which accounts for around 6% of our Scope 3 emissions. Recognising that progress depends on supplier alignment, we are pursuing a structured approach that combines greater operational control, clearer supplier expectations, and procurement-led incentives. Our measures support a targeted 15% reduction in lime-related emissions by 2030, the setting of a longer-term 2040 target, and a credible pathway to Net Zero lime emissions by 2050.
Carbon reduction pathways
2024 0.297 | By 2030 0.192 (-35%) | By 2035 0.028 (-90.5%) |
Eti is already our lowest emissions intensity asset, and our plan is to extend this advantage further. Heat is currently supplied by coal and a small percentage of biomass; 50% of electricity is supplied under renewable certificates.
Our near-term decarbonisation initiatives that we are committed to by 2030 are:
supplying 100% of electricity from renewable sources;
installing carbon capture and liquefaction to utilise process emissions;
maximising co-firing of biomass up to 20%; and
conducting a detailed feasibility study into installing an additional biomass boiler to utilise agricultural waste by 2035 and to phase out coal.
The outcome of this will be a Scope 1 and 2 carbon intensity of 0.19 by 2030 and 0.028 by 2035, more than a 90% reduction. Supporting our target to produce soda ash at scale with the world’s lowest carbon and water footprint and operating at close to Net Zero in the buildup to the site’s closure in the mid-2040s.
2024 0.353 | By 2030 0.276 (-22%) | By 2035 0.222 (-37%) |
Kazan has a large natural gas cogeneration facility that supplies our electricity and steam requirements, as well as providing electricity to the Turkish grid.
This cogeneration facility accounts for most of the site’s emissions, and we have limited levers to reduce these in the near term due to the costs and supply chain challenges associated with different co-firing options. Our near-term decarbonisation initiatives that we are committed to by 2030 are:
energy efficiency savings of 5,000 MWh per year;
utilisation of renewable electricity (45 MW);
installing carbon capture and liquefaction to utilise process emissions; and
utilising purge streams to produce additional products.
The outcome of this will be a carbon intensity of 0.28 by 2030, a 20% reduction against our 2022 baseline, and a 36% reduction by 2040.
2024 0.809 | By 2030 0.648 (-20%) | By 2035 0.556 (-31%) |
Westvaco is our oldest facility, with trona extraction starting in the 1950s. It comprises several production units using both conventional mining, and secondary solution mining producing soda ash, bicarbonate, and range of specialty products.
The short-term pathways outlined below are for the full facility:
converting from coal to natural gas by 2030;
installing cogeneration;
exploring the use of mine methane oxidation; and
exploring the use of CCU for some process emissions;
The outcome of this will be a carbon intensity of 0.65 by 2030, an absolute emissions reduction by 2040 of 785,000 mt CO2e.
Options for deeper, longer-term reductions include CCS, the use of biomass and electrification of steam production, or a combination of all three.
2024 0.535 | By 2030 0.483 (-9.7%) | By 2035 0.431 (-19%) |
Granger recently underwent a major overhaul as part of a transition to secondary solution mining and complete conversion to natural gas, significantly reducing emissions and product CO2 intensity.
Options to further decarbonise include:
utilising cogenerated electricity from Westvaco; and
evaluating capturing and storing or utilising process emissions.
The outcome of these will be a carbon intensity of 0.48 by 2030, a 10% reduction, and a 20% reduction by 2040, against a 2024 baseline.
Water
WE Soda is transitioning to a basin-based water stewardship process aligned with the CEO Water Mandate’s Net Positive Water Impact (NPWI) framework, committing to become water neutral by 2040 by contributing more to water availability, quality, ecosystem health, and community access than it consumes.
Recognising water as a shared and stressed resource in key operating regions, the company is moving beyond site-level efficiency metrics to an ecosystem-based, science-led approach that integrates internal efficiency measures, such as reducing evaporative losses through dry-air cooling, maximising water recycling, and harvesting rainwater, with collaborative catchment-level solutions. These include reusing municipal grey water, supporting circular water use for agriculture and communities, and participating in integrated basin management and restoration projects.
From 2026, WE Soda will strengthen collaboration with local stakeholders to enhance basin resilience, embedding climate adaptation, biodiversity protection, and nature-based solutions into water planning, and aligning targets with ecological thresholds to deliver measurable net positive water outcomes by 2040.
Case study
Water resilience at Kazan
Kazan used around 7 million m3 of water in 2024, with a product water footprint of 2.25 m3 per mt of soda ash.
Traditionally, our water supply came from the dams of ASKİ and Kirmir, but in 2025, we needed to change our approach when water shortages affecting the region required us to reduce our water usage.
We also found an alternative to using fresh water. We are now able to use our local town's grey water in our plant – a project that took twelve months to complete but could provide all of our water needs.
Waste
Managing waste has the potential to reduce costs linked with waste disposal, legal restrictions and restoration of land following plant decommissioning, as well as to increase revenue through the sale of waste-derived products.
As a result, we are committed to working towards zero waste across all of our production sites and operations.
