ICI Pakistan’s Soda Ash Business caters to around 70% of the Country’s total requirement for this commodity. The Business mainly uses indigenous raw materials, thereby accruing savings to the Nation’s foreign exchange reserves through import substitution. The major raw materials used are Salt, supplied by the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation from the Khewra mines, PUNJMIN (Punjab Mineral Development Corporation) and other private suppliers, and Limestone from ICI Pakistan’s own quarries in Tobar and Dandot as well as some private suppliers. In addition Coke, an essential raw material, is being imported from China because of its non availability from local supplier Pakistan Steel Mills. The water for the plant comes from Watli, a natural spring as well as the river Jhelum. The plant generates 7.0 MW of its own electric power and uses around 1.0 MW of WAPDA power, which is backed up by diesel generators.

The Soda Ash market in Pakistan continues to grow and ICI’s experience in the Soda Ash Business in these 64 years is an asset to the Company in the face of changing markets dynamics. The Company uses this competitive advantage along with continued improvement in efficiencies, control over fixed costs, improved productivity and above all a sustained market share and strong customer loyalty to continue to be the market leader in the Soda Ash industry in Pakistan. ICI Pakistan’s Soda Ash plant expansion and modernization at Khewra has placed the Business in a position of strength to face these challenges.