Solvay to double capacity for hydrogen peroxide in Taiwan

Belgian chemicals group Solvay will more than double capacity for ultra-pure ‌hydrogen peroxide in Taiwan by the end of 2026 to meet growing demand from semiconductor makers, according to a Reuters report.

The expansion comes as ​Taiwan’s chipmakers add capacity to meet AI-driven demand, with TSMC recently announcing a new 3-nanometer fab in its Tainan GIGAFAB.

The ⁠expansion at Shinsol Advanced Chemicals, Solvay’s 51%-owned joint venture in Tainan, ​Taiwan, will take annual capacity above 70,000 tonnes from 35,000 tonnes currently, Carlos ​Silveira, president of Solvay’s Peroxides business, told Reuters.

The chemical is used to clean semiconductor wafers during production, a process in which extremely low levels of contamination become increasingly ​important as chipmakers move to more advanced manufacturing technologies.

Solvay aims to at least triple the contribution of its electronics peroxide business within five to seven years, Silveira told Reuters. The ​unit accounted for ​15% of total ⁠peroxides in 2025.

The company is investing in electronic-grade peroxide in Germany and is preparing to capture opportunities in ​the US, Silveira said. It expanded capacity in ​China last ⁠year.

Market research firm Mordor Intelligence sees high-purity peroxides, including electronic-grades, to grow 5.31% annually through 2031, above the overall market’s 3.96% projected rate, driven by ⁠sub-5 nm ​semiconductor fabs in Asia-Pacific and North America.

Solvay also ​produces the catalysts and chemistry used to make hydrogen peroxide as well as carrying out ​the purification needed for semiconductor applications.