2023-11-12 08:12:00
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“We must ensure that the cost of CO2 is not prohibitive. It is good to send a signal but we must avoid this only threatening European industry”
No angelism
For the moment, Philippe Kehren, who joined Solvay in 2012, is president and responsible for sustainable development of the Soda Ash (soda ash) & Derivatives business. A position that the Frenchman has held since 2020, with a sharp eye and a speech that is not intended to be angelic. “What we are doing in terms of the energy transition, at the European level and at Solvay in particular, is a good thing and being a leader in this area will allow us to be competitive in the future. But we must ensure that we do not create a distortion of competition in activities which are in global competition”, explained just a year ago to La Libre, regarding the European green deal and the carbon tax which affects companies like Solvay. “We must ensure that the cost of CO2 is not prohibitive. It is good to give a signal but we must avoid this only threatening European industry,” he said, while observing the big picture , and in particular competition from Turkey on the production of soda ash, which is not affected by the same regulations.
The CEO of Solvay will receive an exceptional bonus to reward “exceptional performance”
The man, who went through the United States during his studies and, in the 2000s, through Rhodia, a famous chemical company bought by Solvay in 2011, warned once morest the desire to relocate certain industries in the event of regulation too strict, too fast. This did not prevent Solvay from investing hundreds of millions of euros in its sites in Europe to get rid of coal for example, as recently in Rheinberg, in Germany. A city known for the Solvay soda ash production factory as well as for the birth of Claudia Schiffer. We’ll let the popularity of each be judged…
Competitiveness versus sustainability?
“It’s complicated to achieve carbon neutrality. And we have to remain competitive at the same time. We therefore go through several stages. Doing without coal already allows emissions to be halved,” he said on this subject in November 2022, when Europe was going through an unprecedented energy crisis for industries.
“Philippe Kehren transformed the company, resulting in strong cash generation, solid margins and growth, strengthening its global leadership while accelerating the company’s energy transition. He accelerated the reinvention of the Solvay process thanks to cutting-edge innovations to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of production,” explains Solvay.
“I am delighted to have been chosen as the incoming CEO of the future Solvay, following the approval of the shareholders during the extraordinary general meeting scheduled for December 2023,” declares, for his part, Philippe Kehren. As for the validation to be expected from shareholders, there is little doubt, given the time and energy invested in the demerger process. Especially following having validated Ilham Kadri’s exceptional bonus.
“Nearly 160 years ago, when Ernest Solvay pioneered a revolutionary industrial process for the production of soda ash, he laid the foundation stone for our great enterprise. Today, the future Solvay is well positioned to continue this heritage by mastering the essential elements for a more sustainable world. As an autonomous entity, Solvay is offered numerous opportunities”, comments Philippe Kehren, in the tradition of the company’s spirit in homage to the founding father.
The Solvay split process is entering its home stretch: “This quarter marks a historic milestone”
Philippe Kehren in a few dates:
1995: master’s degree in chemical engineering at the University of Wisconsin (USA).
1996: engineer at Rhône-Poulenc. He will continue his career at Rhodia, the entity specializing in chemicals resulting from the Rhône-Poulenc split.
2012: arrival at Solvay, with a specialization in energy.
2020: president of the “Soda Ash and Derivatives” unit.
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