Category: News

BlackCycle is delighted to announce that this year we won the Recircle Award in the “Best Tyre Recycling Research Project” category.

The Recircle Awards is a global event designed to recognize the contribution of companies and individuals in the tyre manufacturing, retreading and recycling sectors towards the circular economy.

The BlackCycle project has been nominated two years in a row. In 2022, the project already received an honorable mention. This year, the Recircle award is a great recognition of the results of the project, which is co-funded by the European Union and involves 13 entities from five countries aiming to create a massive circular economy for tyres.

Orion is the only carbon black producer involved in the project.

Indeed, thanks to the BlackCycle project, the first sustainable carbon black (s-CB) produced from end-of-life tyre pyrolysis oil was made at the scale of several tons. That s-CB technology has been successfully introduced in a Michelin bus tyre along with other raw materials to get a sustainable rate of 58%.  All of that was made possible by the BlackCycle value chain driven by the stakeholders of the project.

Being honored with this award serves as evidence of the power of collaborative innovation and its impact on the tyre recycling value-chain on a global scale. The BlackCycle Project team is proud and honored to receive it and thanks all the people who voted for it.

The Blackcycle project will end in June 2024. More is coming. Please visit our website: blackcycle-project.eu

About BlackCycle:

BlackCycle (Grant agreement No 869625) is one of the R&D research and innovation projects funded by the European Commission under the EU’s Horizon 2020 research program to implement the concept of circular economy to the end-of-life tyres at the European level. The BlackCycle project has an upcycling ambition, targeting to create a circular economy of the end-of-life tyre (ELT) into technical applications like tyre industry by producing high technical second raw materials (SRMs) from ELTs. These SRMs will be used to develop new ranges of passenger car and truck tyres, which will be sold commercially in European and global markets. The BlackCycle project consortium is formed by 12 partners from 5 different countries (Orion, Ineris, Quantis, Icamcyl, Aliapur, CSIC, CPERI/CERTH, Sisener, Pyrum, Estato, Hera, and Axelera) and led by the French world leader in tire manufacturing Michelin, https://blackcycle-project.eu/

HOUSTON – Orion S.A. (NYSE: OEC), a global specialty chemicals company, today announced the launch of PRINTEX® kappa 10 – a high-quality conductive additive that will supply surging demand from producers of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, energy storage systems and consumer applications.

The new product, produced with furnace technology in Europe and eventually in Asia, marks a crucial expansion of Orion’s portfolio of conductive additives. The company also makes other kappa grades with the acetylene process.

PRINTEX® kappa 10 facilitates a more efficient transfer of electrical energy within lithium-ion batteries. It forms a percolating network that enables the electrons to flow. This enhances the performance and power response during both charging and discharging.

The conductive additive works for both anode and cathode. It is also compatible with lithium-ferrous-phosphate (LFP) batteries, nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) and other batteries.

“At Orion, we’re focused on products enabling more efficient and powerful lithium-ion batteries that help to decarbonize mobility. PRINTEX® kappa 10 is a key part of our strategy for expanding our business for such conductive additives,” Orion CEO Corning Painter said.

“Our strength lies in our dedication to innovation and delivering sustainable solutions for our customers,” Painter added. “As the world increasingly turns toward electric mobility, the demand for high-quality conductive additives like PRINTEX® kappa 10 will grow.”

Orion invites interested parties to visit the company’s website or contact the sales team for more information about PRINTEX® kappa 10.

About Orion S.A.

Orion S.A. (NYSE: OEC) is a leading global supplier of carbon black, a solid form of carbon produced as powder or pellets. The material is made to customers’ exacting specifications for tires, coatings, ink, batteries, plastics and numerous other specialty, high-performance applications. Carbon black is used to tint, colorize, provide reinforcement, conduct electricity, increase durability and add UV protection. Orion has four innovation centers and produces carbon black at 15 plants worldwide, offering the most diverse variety of production processes in the industry. The company’s corporate lineage goes back more than 160 years to Germany, where it operates the world’s longest-running carbon black plant. Orion is a leading innovator, applying a deep understanding of customers’ needs to deliver sustainable solutions. For more information, please visit orioncarbons.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement. New risk factors and uncertainties emerge from time to time and it is not possible to predict all risk factors and uncertainties, nor can we assess the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information, other than as required by applicable law.

Contacts:

William Foreman

Director of Corporate Communications and

Government Affairs

Orion S.A.

Direct: +1 832-445-3305

Mobile: +1 281-889-7833

william.foreman@orioncarbons.com

Wendy Wilson

Head of Investor Relations

Orion S.A.

Direct: +1 281-974-0155

wendy.wilson@orioncarbons.com

HOUSTON – Orion S.A. (NYSE: OEC), a global specialty chemicals company, today opened a Battery Innovation Center and announced a new leadership team for its conductive additives business for batteries – a major expansion serving the rapidly growing lithium-ion battery industry powering the global shift to electrification.

The new center is located at Orion’s main innovation hub in Cologne, Germany. The facility includes a full array of state-of-art production, testing and diagnostic equipment. The center will accelerate Orion’s tailor-made product and process development in close cooperation with customers.

“The growth potential for conductive additives is huge. We are committed to serving the needs of battery producers with innovation and a global production network. Our new Battery Innovation Center will further position Orion as a leader in the industry,” Orion CEO Corning Painter said. “The battery lab will also broaden and intensify our already extensive network of collaboration with universities, customers and other partners in the battery industry.”

Along with the Battery Innovation Center, Orion will establish a new specialized organization for its battery business, led by Dr. Adrian Steinmetz, who joins Orion on Oct. 1 from BASF. Based in Frankfurt, Germany, he will serve as global vice president for conductive additives.

Dr. Steinmetz’s key areas of expertise include business development, leading global and regional specialty chemical businesses and their technologies, as well as asset management. He earned a doctorate degree in organic chemistry from University of Göttingen, Germany.

“We are excited that Dr. Steinmetz will provide the global leadership that we need to continue the strong momentum we have in the conductive materials market,” said Dr. Sandra Niewiem, senior vice president and global head of Orion’s Specialty business. “He will bring to Orion more than 25 years of experience in several commercial and technical roles in battery materials and specialty chemicals in Europe, Asia and the Americas.”

In the new Battery Innovation Center, Dr. Amaury Augeard will lead the technical team as the head of energy systems. He joined the company from the Lotus Group and brings significant industrial lithium-ion battery expertise. Dr. Augeard holds a doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Clermont-Ferrand, France.

With a plant in France, Orion is the sole producer of acetylene-based conductive additives in Europe. In the U.S., the company is building a similar plant, which will be the only facility of its kind in the country. The site in La Porte, Texas, will quadruple Orion’s manufacturing capacity for acetylene-based conductive additives, which are in high demand by lithium-ion battery producers.

About Orion S.A.

Orion S.A. (NYSE: OEC) is a leading global supplier of carbon black, a solid form of carbon produced as powder or pellets. The material is made to customers’ exacting specifications for tires, coatings, ink, batteries, plastics and numerous other specialty, high-performance applications. Carbon black is used to tint, colorize, provide reinforcement, conduct electricity, increase durability and add UV protection. Orion has innovation centers on three continents and 15 plants worldwide, offering the most diverse variety of production processes in the industry. The company’s corporate lineage goes back more than 160 years to Germany, where it operates the world’s longest-running carbon black plant. Orion is a leading innovator, applying a deep understanding of customers’ needs to deliver sustainable solutions. For more information, please visit orioncarbons.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement. New risk factors and uncertainties emerge from time to time and it is not possible to predict all risk factors and uncertainties, nor can we assess the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information, other than as required by applicable law.

Contact:

William Foreman

Director of Corporate Communications and

Government Affairs

Orion S.A.

Direct: +1 281-889-7833

william.foreman@orioncarbons.com

HOUSTON – Orion S.A. (NYSE: OEC), a global specialty chemicals producer, is investing €12.8 million – including €6.4 million in funding from the German government and European Union – to further develop and demonstrate a climate-neutral process for producing carbon black from alternative carbon sources, the company said today.

The technology is designed to improve Orion’s yield and throughput in the production of carbon black using circular feedstocks and thus potentially reduce the carbon footprint of the process by a significant amount. This could accelerate the shift to a circular economy and feed the growing demand for sustainable materials in the tire industry.

Half of the €12.8 million Orion plans to invest in this initiative, called the “Clean Carbon Black Research and Development Project,” will be provided by the decarbonization program of Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action, supported by the EU’s NextGenerationEU fund.

“We are grateful for the funding from the EU and the German government. It shows a great commitment to innovation and creating a circular economy,” Orion CEO Corning Painter said.

“For years, Orion has been a leading innovator in making carbon black from circular feedstocks,” Painter added. “The Clean Carbon Black Research and Development Project’s aim will be to develop ways to reduce the carbon footprint and improve the yield and throughput, potentially lowering the cost of the material. Technological breakthroughs in this increasingly important field could have significant ramifications for energy integration and the molecular recycling of tires.”

A research facility is being built for the project at Orion’s main innovation center at its plant in Cologne.

About Orion S.A.

Orion S.A. (NYSE: OEC) is a leading global supplier of carbon black, a solid form of carbon produced as powder or pellets. The material is made to customers’ exacting specifications for tires, coatings, ink, batteries, plastics and numerous other specialty, high-performance applications. Carbon black is used to tint, colorize, provide reinforcement, conduct electricity, increase durability and add UV protection. Orion has innovation centers on three continents and 15 plants worldwide, offering the most diverse variety of production processes in the industry. The company’s corporate lineage goes back more than 160 years to Germany, where it operates the world’s longest-running carbon black plant. Orion is a leading innovator, applying a deep understanding of customers’ needs to deliver sustainable solutions. For more information, please visit orioncarbons.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement. New risk factors and uncertainties emerge from time to time and it is not possible to predict all risk factors and uncertainties, nor can we assess the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information, other than as required by applicable law.

Contacts:

William Foreman

Director of Corporate Communications and

Government Affairs

Orion S.A.

Direct: +1 832-445-3305

Mobile: +1 281-889-7833

william.foreman@orioncarbons.com

Wendy Wilson

Head of Investor Relations

Orion S.A.

Direct: +1 281-974-0155

wendy.wilson@orioncarbons.com

HOUSTON – Orion S.A. (NYSE: OEC), a global specialty chemicals company, today released its 2022 Sustainability Report that highlights a variety of initiatives, including launching four new sustainable products, conducting a Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions inventory and nearing the completion of a massive air emissions control project.

The report’s “CEO Letter to Stakeholders” describes the magnitude, complexity and impact of the air emissions control initiative that started five years ago and is the biggest sustainability-linked project in Orion’s history. The company will fulfill its commitments before several competitors despite that it has more production sites in the U.S.

“All of us at Orion can look back at the past five years and feel an extreme amount of pride,” Orion CEO Corning Painter said. “We stayed committed during intensely trying times and honored our agreement to make our facilities cleaner, leading to a big impact for the environment and health in our communities.”

A decade ago, Orion was the first major producer to develop and commercialize carbon black made from renewable feedstocks. The 2022 Sustainability Report covers how the company continues to be a leading innovator, launching four sustainable products last year for the rubber industry: ECORAX® Circular 210, 215, 220 and ECORAX® Nature 200.

“Supplying the growing demand for sustainable products and accelerating the transition to a circular economy are key components of our strategy,” Painter said. “Orion as well as our customers are serious about making their raw materials fully sustainable. So we are heavily engaged in this area and work closely with our customers to develop solutions.”

Another 2022 sustainability milestone at Orion involved implementing a Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions inventory, which allows the company to develop a better understanding of the type of initiatives that would help reduce these emissions.

Scope 3 emissions – those produced by Orion’s value chain partners – currently account for less than 40% of the total of Orion’s greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, in parallel to reducing Scope 3 emissions together with value chain partners, the company continues to focus on the sources of greenhouse gas emissions that it can directly influence, such as Scope 1 and 2 emissions.

Download a PDF version of the report from the Sustainability page of Orion’s website.

About Orion S.A.

Orion S.A. (NYSE: OEC) is a leading global supplier of carbon black, a solid form of carbon produced as powder or pellets. The material is made to customers’ exacting specifications for tires, coatings, ink, batteries, plastics and numerous other specialty, high-performance applications. Carbon black is used to tint, colorize, provide reinforcement, conduct electricity, increase durability and add UV protection. Orion has four innovation centers, and produces carbon black at 15 plants worldwide, offering the most diverse variety of production processes in the industry. The company’s corporate lineage goes back more than 160 years to Germany, where it operates the world’s longest-running carbon black plant. Orion is a leading innovator, applying a deep understanding of customers’ needs to deliver sustainable solutions. For more information, please visit orioncarbons.com. 

Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement. New risk factors and uncertainties emerge from time to time and it is not possible to predict all risk factors and uncertainties, nor can we assess the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information, other than as required by applicable law.

Contacts:

William Foreman

Director of Corporate Communications and

Government Affairs

Orion S.A.

Direct: +1 832-445-3305

Mobile: +1 281-889-7833

william.foreman@orioncarbons.com

Wendy Wilson

Head of Investor Relations

Orion S.A.

Direct: +1 281-974-0155

wendy.wilson@orioncarbons.com

HOUSTON – Orion S.A. (NYSE: OEC), a global specialty chemicals company, is honored to be ranked No. 1 in the carbon black category in the 27th Paint & Pintura Awards – widely regarded as the “Oscars” of the coatings industry in Brazil, the company said today.

The award winners are determined by a survey of industry leaders, including producers, distributors, customers and other key players in the coatings world. They fill out a questionnaire that requires them to write in the names of the best companies – not select them from a ballot of candidates.

Orion received 39% percent of the votes in the carbon black category.

“This award is the result of years of work improving our products and service,” said Simone Fontana Pereira, an Orion sales manager in Sao Paulo. “We have restructured and invested a lot in being close to our customers in this important market.”

João Vilas Boas, an Orion sales manager in Sao Paulo, added, “This award primarily represents our strong presence with customers, not only selling carbon black but being a reliable supplier they can count on.”

Paint & Pintura is the leading trade publication covering the paint and coatings industry in Brazil. To participate in the competition, companies are not required to buy advertising or provide any other type of monetary support. The awards are purely based on merit.

About Orion S.A.

Orion S.A. (NYSE: OEC) is a leading global supplier of carbon black, a solid form of carbon produced as powder or pellets. The material is made to customers’ exacting specifications for tires, coatings, ink, batteries, plastics and numerous other specialty, high-performance applications. Carbon black is used to tint, colorize, provide reinforcement, conduct electricity, increase durability, and add UV protection. Orion has innovation centers on three continents and 15 plants worldwide, offering the most diverse variety of production processes in the industry. The company’s corporate lineage goes back more than 160 years to Germany, where it operates the world’s longest-running carbon black plant. Orion is a leading innovator, applying a deep understanding of customers’ needs to deliver sustainable solutions. For more information, please visit orioncarbons.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement. New risk factors and uncertainties emerge from time to time and it is not possible to predict all risk factors and uncertainties, nor can we assess the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information, other than as required by applicable law.

Contacts:

William Foreman
Director of Corporate Communications and Government Affairs
Orion S.A.
Direct: +1 832-445-3305
Mobile: +1 281-889-7833
william.foreman@orioncarbons.com

HOUSTON – Orion Engineered Carbons (NYSE: OEC), a global specialty chemicals producer, announced today the company has achieved its 2022 emissions targets in the U.S. and will receive a 10 basis point rate reduction in interest payments on its sustainability-linked term loan, saving approximately $650,000.

When Orion agreed to the seven-year $650-million term loan in 2021, the company was one of the first to link the loan to environmental goals.

Starting this year, a third-party firm audited the air emissions figures at Orion’s four plants in the U.S. and determined whether the company achieved its targets. If Orion meets its targets for all four years, the company could reduce its financing costs by a total of $2.6 million.

“We’re pleased the first round of audits for our term loan were successful,” said Corning Painter, chief executive officer. “Achieving the emissions reduction goals underscores our strong focus and commitment to sustainability. We are confident we will have continued success achieving the emissions targets for the loan, which will lead to significant interest savings.”

Over the past five years, Orion has been upgrading its emissions control technology at all four of its U.S. plants. Three of these complex projects are completed, with the final one scheduled to be finished in 2023. The facilities are in Ivanhoe, La.; Belpre, Ohio; and the Texas cities of Orange and Borger.

About Orion Engineered Carbons

Orion Engineered Carbons (NYSE: OEC) is a leading global supplier of carbon black, a solid form of carbon produced as powder or pellets. The material is made to customers’ exacting specifications for tires, coatings, ink, batteries, plastics and numerous other specialty, highperformance applications. Carbon black is used to tint, colorize, provide reinforcement, conduct electricity, increase durability and add UV protection. Orion has innovation centers on three continents and 15 plants worldwide, offering the most diverse variety of production processes in the industry. The company’s corporate lineage goes back more than 160 years to Germany, where it operates the world’s longest-running carbon black plant. Orion is a leading innovator, applying a deep understanding of customers’ needs to deliver sustainable solutions. For more information, please visit orioncarbons.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement. New risk factors and uncertainties emerge from time to time and it is not possible to predict all risk factors and uncertainties, nor can we assess the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information, other than as required by applicable law.

Contacts:

William Foreman
Director of Corporate Communications and Government Affairs
Orion Engineered Carbons
Direct: +1 832-445-3305
Mobile: +1 281-889-7833
william.foreman@orioncarbons.com

Wendy Wilson
Head of Investor Relations
Orion Engineered Carbons
Direct: +1 281-974-0155
wendy.wilson@orioncarbons.com

HOUSTON – Orion Engineered Carbons (NYSE: OEC), a specialty chemicals company, announced today that cogeneration technology that produces renewable energy has been installed at its Ivanhoe plant in the southern U.S. state of Louisiana, making the facility more efficient, reliable and sustainable.

The cogeneration system, which includes a steam turbine generator, uses waste steam from the carbon black plant’s production process and converts it to electricity. The energy can be used to power the facility as well as be exported to the local grid.

“The new technology will reduce our reliance on the grid, which should result in less downtime at the plant and more consistent production,” Orion CEO Corning Painter said. “This is especially important in the Gulf Coast region of the U.S., where severe weather can pose a threat to the power supply. With this cogeneration system, we expect to be better able to continue safely operating and producing the products our customers need.”

Another anticipated benefit of the technology is improved equipment reliability at the plant, which produces carbon black for the rubber and specialty markets. Any power failure can shut down the plant suddenly, causing fatigue and degradation with carbon black production equipment, which requires significant cool-down and warm-up periods.

Similar cogeneration technology is used at many of Orion’s plants worldwide.

This is the second significant upgrade at the Ivanhoe plant in the last three years. In late 2021, Orion installed air emissions control technology that captures pollutants and converts them to sulfuric acid, commonly used in a wide range of products — from fertilizers and glue to dyes and car batteries. The project was a major milestone in Orion’s commitment to developing circular solutions for its waste streams.

About Orion Engineered Carbons

Orion Engineered Carbons (NYSE: OEC) is a leading global supplier of carbon black, a solid form of carbon produced as powder or pellets. The material is made to customers’ exacting specifications for tires, coatings, ink, batteries, plastics and numerous other specialty, highperformance applications. Carbon black is used to tint, colorize, provide reinforcement, conduct electricity, increase durability, and add UV protection. Orion has innovation centers on three continents and 14 plants worldwide, offering the most diverse variety of production processes in the industry. The company’s corporate lineage goes back more than 160 years to Germany, where it operates the world’s longest-running carbon black plant. Orion is a leading innovator, applying a deep understanding of customers’ needs to deliver sustainable solutions. For more information, please visit orioncarbons.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement. New risk factors and uncertainties emerge from time to time and it is not possible to predict all risk factors and uncertainties, nor can we assess the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information, other than as required by applicable law.

Contacts:

William Foreman Director of Corporate Communications and
Government Affairs
Orion Engineered Carbons
Direct: +1 832-445-3305
Mobile: +1 281-889-7833
william.foreman@orioncarbons.com

Wendy Wilson
Head of Investor Relations
Orion Engineered Carbons
Direct: +1 281-974-0155
wendy.wilson@orioncarbons.com

HOUSTON – Orion Engineered Carbons (NYSE: OEC), a global specialty chemicals company, said today it has debottlenecked a post-treatment unit at its Cologne, Germany, plant that produces high-jetness specialty carbon blacks.

The debottlenecking enables Orion to increase production capacity and also produce beads in addition to powder. High-jetness carbon blacks deliver a deep black masstone with a bluish undertone and are popular in automotive coatings.

“It’s challenging to push jetness above certain levels, and Orion is one of only a few carbon black producers that can do it,” said Markus Mahn, director of Global Marketing for Coatings. “Demand was high last year and continues to be strong this year.”

Orion has plans to install a second post-treatment unit at its Cologne facility due to the rapidly growing demand for the company’s premium grades.

About Orion Engineered Carbons

Orion Engineered Carbons (NYSE: OEC) is a leading global supplier of carbon black, a solid form of carbon produced as powder or pellets. The material is made to customers’ exacting specifications for tires, coatings, ink, batteries, plastics and numerous other specialty, highperformance applications. Carbon black is used to tint, colorize, provide reinforcement, conduct electricity, increase durability and add UV protection. Orion has innovation centers on three continents and 14 plants worldwide, offering the most diverse variety of production processes in the industry. The company’s corporate lineage goes back more than 160 years to Germany, where it operates the world’s longest-running carbon black plant. Orion is a leading innovator, applying a deep understanding of customers’ needs to deliver sustainable solutions. For more information, please visit orioncarbons.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement. New risk factors and uncertainties emerge from time to time and it is not possible to predict all risk factors and uncertainties, nor can we assess the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information, other than as required by applicable law.

Contacts:

William Foreman
Director of Corporate Communications and
Government Affairs
Orion Engineered Carbons
Direct: +1 832-445-3305
Mobile: +1 281-889-7833
william.foreman@orioncarbons.com

HOUSTON – Orion Engineered Carbons (NYSE: OEC), a global specialty chemicals company, announced today it has received a Gold medal rating from EcoVadis, an independent organization that assesses the performance of companies in a wide range of sustainability areas.

Orion improved its score from the previous year, moving up from 72 to 77 points – just one point away from receiving a Platinum medal rating. The company is now in the 99th percentile of companies assessed by EcoVadis.

“The way Orion was able to jump five points in one year and reach the top 1% of companies shows how the many improvements we have made can add up to a big change,” Orion CEO Corning Painter said. “We are so close to Platinum now and will continue to strive for that goal as we deliver sustainable solutions to our customers.”

EcoVadis reviews companies’ performance in the areas of environment, ethics, sustainable procurement, overall sustainability governance, labor and human rights. The organization says it assesses more than 100,000 companies in over 200 industries in more than 175 countries.

Orion’s most recent sustainability initiatives have included installing control equipment at its U.S. plants that is substantially reducing emissions. The company is producing innovative products with pyrolysis oils from end-of-life tires and bio-circular feedstocks. Orion also plans to expand production of acetylene-based conducive additives for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles.

About Orion Engineered Carbons

Orion Engineered Carbons (NYSE: OEC) is a leading global supplier of carbon black, a solid form of carbon produced as powder or pellets. The material is made to customers’ exacting specifications for tires, coatings, ink, batteries, plastics and numerous other specialty, highperformance applications. Carbon black is used to tint, colorize, provide reinforcement, conduct electricity, increase durability and add UV protection. Orion has innovation centers on three continents and 14 plants worldwide, offering the most diverse variety of production processes in the industry. The company’s corporate lineage goes back more than 160 years to Germany, where it operates the world’s longest-running carbon black plant. Orion is a leading innovator, applying a deep understanding of customers’ needs to deliver sustainable solutions. For more information, please visit orioncarbons.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement. New risk factors and uncertainties emerge from time to time and it is not possible to predict all risk factors and uncertainties, nor can we assess the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information, other than as required by applicable law.

Contacts:

William Foreman
Director of Corporate Communications and
Government Affairs
Orion Engineered Carbons
Direct: +1 832-445-3305
Mobile: +1 281-889-7833
william.foreman@orioncarbons.com

Wendy Wilson
Head of Investor Relations
Orion Engineered Carbons
Direct: +1 281-974-0155
wendy.wilson@orioncarbons.com