HOUSTON – Orion S.A., a specialty chemicals producer, announced today a fourth plant has earned International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS). The company now leads its industry with the number of certified carbon black production sites.

Orion’s facility in Cologne, Germany, was the company’s latest plant to pass extensive audits confirming the site’s compliance with rigorous ISCC PLUS sustainability requirements. The plant was certified for producing circular and bio-circular raw materials.

“Orion has long been a leading innovator developing circular solutions and sustainable products for customers,” Orion CEO Corning Painter said. “ISCC PLUS verifies the transparency and traceability of sustainable raw materials in our value chain. It also shows our dedication to sustainability.”

Last year, Orion was the first to achieve ISCC PLUS for multiple carbon black grades made from different feedstocks at plants in two regions of the world. The facilities were in Borger, Texas; Belpre, Ohio; and Jaslo, Poland. The three facilities were recertified this year.

“In addition to recognizing the sustainable grades for rubber applications produced in the three plants, the certification of our Cologne plant is an important milestone for Orion’s sustainability efforts because the facility produces a wide variety of specialty products for several applications, including batteries, coatings, printing and polymers,” Painter said.

A decade ago, Orion was the first major producer to develop and commercialize carbon black made from renewable feedstocks, such as industrial-grade vegetable oils or other oils derived from waste and residues of biological origin from agriculture or forestry.

Orion is also the only carbon black producer in the BlackCycle initiative, an EU-funded project focused on developing the production of circular carbon black.

The ISCC PLUS certification is granted by the Cologne-based ISCC Association, which promotes the sustainable production of biomass, circular and bio-based materials and renewables.