Elkem

Elkem is a company that produces solar grade silicon, silicon, alloys for the foundry industry, carbon and microsilica. Elkem is owned by China National Bluestar Group Co. Ltd. (Bluestar), which bought the company from Orkla Group for 2 billion USD in 2011. The deal excluded 85 percent of the sister company Elkem Energi AS.

The company serves the construction, transport, engineering, packaging, aluminium, chemical and electronic industries. Elkem has 13 factories in Europe, North America, South America and Asia.

History

Elkem was founded in 1904 by Sam Eyde with the intention of development of furnaces and processes for electro metals. In 1917 a ferroalloy plant was acquired and Elkem starts production of the Søderberg electrode.

Throughout the 1960s and beyond Elkem expanded, primarily in Norway within aluminium, mining and finished products. In 1972 the company merged with Christiania Spigerverk and continued with an international expansion within ferroalloys and steel. In 1981-84 Elkem acquired Union Carbides plants in Norway and North America and in 1986 it acquires the plants at Thamshavn and Bjølvefossen. In the 2000s Elkem had acquired Icelandic Alloy, Remi Claeys Aluminium and Sapa (company).