ESAPA, the European Soda Ash Producers Association

We are a non-profit international Sector Group within Cefic, the Brussels-based European Chemical Industry Council.

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About us

ESAPA members operate 14 soda ash plants 

across 6 countries within the European Union (Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain), United Kingdom and Turkey: together, these plants have a combined capacity of over 10 million tons per year, representing up to 15% of global production.

Under the CEFIC structure and governance, ESAPA is involved in:

Providing expertise to governments and European institutions on issues related to the soda ash industry.
Providing relevant information and proposals developed through members’ collaboration in the fields of safety, environment, toxicology, transport, energy and trade.
Monitoring and influencing legislation and its impact on soda ash manufacture and its downstream use.
Promoting the image of the European soda ash industry to local, national and European authorities.
Promoting and encouraging best practices amongst its members in the fields of safety, health, environment, technology, Responsible Care and Sustainable Development.
Collecting and sharing statistical data for the soda ash industry.

About Soda Ash

Sodium carbonate

Sodium carbonate, commonly known as soda ash, is a white, water-soluble alkaline powder available in two forms: light and dense. Light soda ash is a fine powder, while dense soda ash, with twice the bulk density, is a granular product. It is produced using locally-sourced raw materials such as salt  and limestone, or trona.

Soda ash is not classified according to CLP regulation, and posed no main risks or hazards to human health or the environment. However, as with all chemicals, ESAPA and its members advocate for Responsible Care and for the safe use of chemicals.

Another product of ESAPA is sodium bicarbonate: it is also known as baking soda, and is a white crystalline powder that is soluble in water and has a slightly alkaline taste. It is commonly used in baking, cleaning, and as an antacid. Sodium bicarbonate is produced using raw materials such as sodium carbonate and carbon dioxide.

Similar to soda ash, sodium bicarbonate does not present main hazards to human health or the environment.

Regulatory

ESAPA’s key challenges

One of ESAPA’s key challenges has been ensuring that new legislation’s objectives are met with a clear understanding of their impact on the soda ash industry, enabling compliance in a cost-effective and sustainable manner. To achieve these goals, ESAPA has collaborated with other industry groups and authorities to promote common interests.

Recently, ESAPA has focused on:

The EC BREF document for Large Volume Inorganic Chemicals, with the soda ash chapter being a cornerstone.
The European Pollutant Emissions Register (EPER) and its global counterpart, the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR).
The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and the role of soda ash production in the climate change discussion.
REACH, the new European Regulation for the Registration, Evaluation, and Authorisation of Chemicals.

Our Members

Our Members