Production

Year-over-Year Increase in Production Output

In 2015, production output increased compared with the previous year. WACKER POLYSILICON sold higher volumes than ever before. Our chemical divisions also reported increased volumes, and high plant utilization of over 80 percent. There were no major facility shutdowns. Production costs were up by 4 percent. Maintenance costs of € 427 million were above the prior-year level.

Plant Utilization in 2015

 Download XLS

 

%

 

Plant Utilization

 

 

 

WACKER SILICONES

 

98

WACKER POLYMERS

 

85

WACKER POLYSILICON

 

100

SILTRONIC

 

87

Investments in new production facilities amounted to € 834.0 million in the reporting year (2014: € 572.2 million). Most of this amount was for polysilicon production in Tennessee (USA), where we have built a new polysilicon site, construction work having started there in April 2011.

Key Start-Ups

 

Location

 

Projects

 

Start-Up

 

 

 

 

 

Calvert City

 

Dispersions reactor

 

2015

Burghausen

 

Polymer powder dryer

 

2015

Burghausen

 

Expansion of Performance Silicones Plant (PSP)

 

2015

Burghausen

 

Specialty monomers

 

2015

Holla

 

Modernization of silicon furnace

 

2015

Corporate Engineering is responsible for implementing all investment projects at WACKER.

Focus on Productivity: Higher Plant Capacity Utilization and Lower Specific Maintenance Expenditures

High productivity throughout the supply chain is a key to WACKER’s success. The Wacker Operating System (WOS) program helps us to boost productivity along the entire supply chain. Our goal is to continue reducing specific operating costs every year. In 2015, we implemented more than 600 projects in operational business and corporate departments. Some 400 of these concerned operations, with the corporate departments accounting for about 200. Last year, WOS focused on improving plant utilization levels, specific energy consumption and raw-material yields, as well as on optimizing specific maintenance costs and reducing third-party contracting.

Productivity Projects According to Focus

Productivity Projects According to Focus (bar chart)Productivity Projects According to Focus (bar chart)

During the year under review, our WOS ACADEMY (founded in 2009) held seven training courses at which some 100 employees were trained in the application of new productivity methods, such as Six Sigma. In addition to these courses, we carried out projects aimed at reducing specific costs.