Chemours to build, operate new facility on DeLisle plant grounds
The Chemours Company announced Tuesday that the PCC Group plans to build and operate a chlor-alkali facility on the grounds of Chemours’ titanium dioxide plant in DeLisle.
The agreement between PCC GulfChem and Chemours will use state-of-the-art technology to produce 340,000 metric tons of chlor-alkali product once the plant is operational. A co-product, caustic soda, will be sold by PCC to partners and on the open market.
Plans now call for 1,200 temporary construction jobs. The $540 million project will begin construction in 2026 and be operational by 2028. When operational, it will employ 84 people.
The Chemours facility in DeLisle was established in 1979 on 2,600 acres. The company employs about 1,200 people, with half of those employed as contractors. In 2018, the company opened a $12 million, 300,000 square foot distribution center for its titanium dioxide operation, which produces about 350,000 tons of titanium dioxide a year.
“Today, Chemours Titanium Technologies takes an important step in its continued operational excellence transformation, under Pathway to Thrive, partnering with the PCC Group to gain increased supply reliability through on-site chlorine at our DeLisle TiO2 facility,” said Denise Dignam, President and CEO of Chemours.
“This new partnership, requiring no up-front financial commitment from Chemours, will enable us to lower our manufacturing costs and better serve our customers as their trusted (titanium dioxide) partner of choice. It also reinforces our commitment to the Mississippi Gulf Coast community we have called home for nearly 45 years.”
“We are dedicated to using our decades-long experience to safely and responsibly extend our chemical business at this facility,” said Peter Wenzel, CEO, PCC SE. “We look forward to a successful collaboration with such a major, globally renowned player as Chemours, setting a benchmark in the industry while evaluating further opportunities in the region.”
Gov. Tate Reeves also applauded the project.
“This is yet another economic development megadeal for Mississippi and further proof that companies from around the world want to invest here,” said Reeves. “PCC GulfChem’s decision to invest more than a half billion dollars in Harrison County is a testament to the fact that our pro-business policies and favorable business environment attract some of the world’s top industry leaders. I thank the PCC GulfChem team for choosing Mississippi and wish the company many years of success on the Gulf Coast. Mississippi has momentum, and this is our time!”
Wenzel noted the welcome his company received from the state as well as Mississippi Power, which will provide significantly more power to the DeLisle site once the chlor-alkali plant is operational. Wentzel said the chlor-alkali plant will draw three times more power than the Chemours plant uses.
“Mississippi Power is excited to be the energy provider in this successful public-private partnership that is bringing significant investment by a global company to our Gulf Coast region,” said Mississippi Power CEO Anthony Wilson. “We are known for reliable electric service, and we look forward to having PCC Gulf Chem as a new customer in its production of chlorine and other products alongside Chemours, one of our largest longtime customers.”
