Ecolab aims to triple production in Chile with new plants

US cleaning chemicals company Ecolab opened a new US$30mn production plant in the Lampa district near Chilean capital Santiago on Wednesday and is expected to triple production in the country.

The new 40,000m2 facility will house plants for the firm's main business lines in Chile: industrial, pharmaceutical and veterinary, though only the industrial plant was opened Wednesday while the other two will be opened later this year.

During the opening ceremony (in photo), Ecolab Latinoamérica Sur's CEO Melvin Schkesinger said that with the new plant, the company will be able to produce up to 65% of the 250 products that it is currently importing for distribution in Chile "in the short term."

He also highlighted that, globally, Ecolab prioritizes local production as it allows it to interact with clients more efficiently, citing the case of Chile's 2010 earthquake when the company was able to deliver large amounts of detergents and disinfectants that it was producing in the country at the time.

Ecolab's global executive VP and chief supply chain officer Alex Blanco said the new plant follows global sustainability standards and is completely powered by renewable sources.

"Our global impact can be seen through our customers. We help to manage over 1.4bn liters of water ... and we help to save up to 3.7bn liters of water per year," he said.

According to a press release, the plant's wastewater will be treated and reused for irrigation, while the water used in industrial processes will be treated by third companies.

As for energy consumption, the plant mostly uses solar and wind power, while minimizing energy consumption in order to reduce CO2 emissions. Ecolab aims to reduce energy and water consumption by 20% per ton produced.

The company has operated in Chile for 40 years, and currently has 7,000 customers in the country in sectors ranging from hospitals to mining.