Sustainability Report 2011/2012

Transcription

2011/2012
Wacker Chemie AG
Sustainability Report
Su sta i n a bi l i ty In d i ca to rs
2012
2011
20101
En vi ro n m e n ta l Pro te cti o n
Operating costs (€ million)
Investments (€ million)
7 9 .3
7 3 .3
65
8 .6
7 .9
12
1 ,2 9 4 ,4 2 4
1 ,3 4 1 ,1 0 7
985,694
2 ,2 2 5
2 ,2 2 1
926
418
396
415
1 ,4 6 0
1 ,6 8 0
1,820
1 3 6 ,8 0 0
1 2 7 ,7 0 0
125,550
2 4 2 ,0 7 2 ,0 0 0 2 6 8 ,6 5 7 ,0 0 0
252,151,000
Emissions
CO2 carbon dioxide (t)
NOx nitrogen oxides (t)
NMVOC non-methane volatile organic compounds (t)
COD chemical oxygen demand (t)
Waste (total) (t)
Water consumption (m 3)
Energy
Electricity consumption (TWh)
4 .6
4 .4
3.8
7 .0 2
6 .9 2
6.11
4 .7
3 .9
4.3
Female employees, groupwide (%)
2 2 .1
2 1 .9
21.8
Women in third-level management, groupwide (%)
2 2 .0
1 9 .1
19.2
7 .3
5 .9
6.8
1 1 .8
12
12.6
7 .9
2 .9
2.5
891
3 ,6 3 9
1,011
1 ,1 3 5
877
1,150
Primary energy (total) (TWh)
Occu pa ti o n a l Sa fe ty
Accident rate: accidents per 1 million hours worked
Em pl o ye e s
Women as executive personnel, groupwide (%)
Non-German employees, Germany (%)
Employee turnover rate, groupwide (%)
So ci e ty
Donations (€ thousand)
Sponsorships (€ thousand)
1
Excluding the s ilicon-metal plant in Holla, Norway
C o ve r:
WACKER aims to run its plants and proces s es in a way that pos es no ris k to people or the
environment. We therefore operate a groupwide s afety management s ys tem that covers both workplace
s afety and plant s afety.
2011/2012
8
Feature Article
Foundations for a New Life About WACKER
2
4
5
14
19
21
22
23
24
Management
Vision and Goals Business Principles Voluntary Commitments Organization 6
Feature Article
Geared to Efficiency Wacker Chemie AG
Sustainability Report
WACKER at a Glance
Sites About this Report Key Events 2010 – 2012 Structure and Operations Management and Supervision Key Products Governance and Shareholder Structure Goals and Outlook Introduction by the
President and CEO 31
32
33
34
11
Workplace, Plant and
Transport Safety
Prevention Incident Management Accidents and Incidents 89
93
94
Employees
Headcount Personnel Development Life and Careers Compensation and Social Benefits Employee Representation Health Protection 96
97
104
108
111
111
Society
Environmental Protection
Environmental Protection Costs Environmental Protection in Production Nature Conservation and Biodiversity Logistics and Transport 48
48
66
67
Product Safety and
Product Stewardship
Product Safety Product Stewardship Donations and Sponsorships Neighbors Schools Universities Politics and NGOs Children Disaster Aid 115
116
118
120
121
122
122
Further Information
71
76
GRI Indicators GRI Statement Glossary Contact 124
133
134
138
1
WAC KER a t a G l a n ce
€ million
2012
2011
2010
R e su l ts/R e tu rn
Sales
4 ,6 3 4 .9
4 ,9 0 9 .7
4,748.4
7 8 6 .8
1 ,1 0 4 .2
1,194.5
1 7 .0
2 2 .5
25.2
2 5 8 .0
6 0 3 .2
764.6
5 .6
1 2 .3
16.1
Financial result
- 6 4 .8
- 3 5 .8
-32.3
Income before taxes
1 9 3 .2
5 6 7 .4
732.3
Net income for the year
1 0 6 .8
3 5 6 .1
497.0
2 .2 7
7 .1 0
9.88
5 .2
1 3 .9
24.8
Total assets
6 ,3 2 9 .9
6 ,2 3 7 .0
5,501.2
Equity
2 ,6 1 7 .8
2 ,6 2 9 .7
2,446.8
4 1 .4
4 2 .2
44.5
1 ,1 9 7 .2
7 7 7 .9
533.4
- 7 0 0 .5
9 5 .7
264.0
1 ,0 9 5 .4
9 8 1 .2
695.1
5 2 8 .8
5 0 1 .0
429.9
- 5 3 6 .2
- 1 5 7 .4
421.6
1 7 4 .5
1 7 2 .9
165.1
1 ,2 0 5 .3
1 ,2 8 2 .5
1,135.7
1 6 ,2 9 2
1 7 ,1 6 8
16,314
EBITDA1
2
EBITDA margin (%)
3
EBIT
2
EBIT margin (%)
Earnings per share (basic/diluted) (€)
ROCE (%)
Fi n a n ci a l Po si ti o n /C a sh Fl o w s
Equity ratio (%)
Financial liabilities
Net financial liabilities/net financial receivables
4
Capital expenditures (including financial assets)
Depreciation (including financial assets)
Net cash flow
5
R e se a rch a n d D e ve l o pm e n t
Research and development expenses
Em pl o ye e s
Personnel expenses
Employees (December 31, number)
1
EBITDA is EBIT before depreciation and amortiz ation.
Margins are calculated bas ed on s ales .
3
EBIT is the res ult from continuing operations for the period before interes t and other financial res ults , and
income taxes .
4
Sum of cas h and cas h equivalents , noncurrent and current s ecurities , and noncurrent and current financial liabilities .
5
Sum of cas h flow from operating activities (excluding changes in advance payments received) and cas h flow from
noncurrent inves tment activities (before s ecurities ), including additions due to finance leas es .
2
About WACKER
As a globally operating chemical company and team of
specialists, WACKER is focused on the market and close
to its customers. Through our international network of
sites, such as the WACKER Shanghai Center, we have a
presence in all the world’s key regions.
Wacker Chemie AG Sustainability Report 2011/2012
About WACKER
A b o u tWA C K E R
Sales and Production Sites
WAC KER Pro d u cti o n a n d Sa l e s Si te s, Te ch n i ca l C o m pe te n ce C e n te rs 1
1
Only majority-owned s ubs idiaries
4
About WACKER
About this Report
Wacker Chemie AG’s sustainability report explains how the Group balances economic aspects with
environmental and social responsibility. In 1989, WACKER was among the first companies to report on its
environmental performance. We were also among the first to enhance our environmental reports with social
and health information, creating our first sustainability report in 2002.
The present report, which builds on WACKER’s 2009/2010 sustainability report, is available in English and
German. The facts and figures given in this report refer to fiscal years 2011 and 2012. Unless otherwise stated,
our statements apply to all business divisions and sites around the world, as well as to every subsidiary in
which WACKER is the majority shareholder. The information on our Group structure and financial position was
taken from WACKER’s 2011 and 2012 annual reports. To be as up to date as possible, we have a section in our
Goals chapter to cover future topics from 2013 onward (editorial deadline: June 1, 2013).
This report offers an honest and comprehensive account of sustainability at WACKER not only for our
customers, business partners, suppliers and shareholders, but also for analysts, non-governmental
organizations, the authorities, our sites’ neighbors and our employees. We established the main contents
through ongoing dialogue with our stakeholders and a survey carried out in 2012. This international
stakeholder survey asked 201 respondents what sustainability topics are most relevant and how well Wacker
Chemie AG handles them.
Our reporting is based on criteria recommended by future (a “self-help” initiative run by various German
companies), by the IÖW (the German institute for Ecological Economy Research) and by the international G3
guidelines issued by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). An index on the right (under “Services”) refers to the
pages that contain information on the individual GRI Indicators. We evaluated and assigned the degree of
compliance with the GRI indicators ourselves (Application Level A). This assessment has been reviewed and
verified by the GRI.
Our website provides further information on the topics discussed in this report. Information on WACKER’s
sustainability efforts is also available at www.wacker.com/sustainability
Our next sustainability report is scheduled for 2015.
5
About WACKER
Introduction by the President and CEO
D e a r R e a d e r,
2011 and 2012 were challenging years for WACKER,
characterized by the consolidation in the global photovoltaic
market, which impacted our business development.
Overcapacities had built up in the sector, putting pressure on
prices, and customers found themselves in a difficult
financial situation.
Despite the tough times that the photovoltaic business is
currently going through, we are confident that solar energy
will carry on growing, firmly establishing its position as an
indispensable energy source for the future. Due to a marked
decline in system prices, solar energy has become even
more competitive in comparison with other energy sources,
and rising numbers of solar arrays are being installed across
the world, with countries such as China, France, India,
Japan, South Africa and the USA increasingly turning to
solar energy.
Dr. Rudolf Staudigl
President & CEO of
Wacker Chemie AG
Photovoltaics is only one example of how sustainability –
above all in the area of energy production and efficiency – is an important business model for WACKER.
Further examples from our product portfolio are silicone elastomers for energy-saving LED technology,
dispersible polymer powders for building insulation, and additives for the manufacture of wind turbines. To help
meet our strategic goals, we are focusing on the highly promising fields of energy, urbanization and
construction, digitization, and rising prosperity in emerging countries.
Over the last two years, we have developed an analytical tool that enables us to estimate, right at the R&D
phase, the environmental impact of new products. The analysis of product-specific environmental effects
performed with this tool is gradually being established within the Group and will help us to further improve the
sustainability of our products.
Sustainable management applies not only to our product portfolio; for years, sustainability has been an integral
part of all WACKER’s production and business processes. We have made it a top priority to reduce raw-material
consumption and save energy. Our great strength here is our closed production loops: we reuse byproducts as
starting materials for other products, and also recover waste heat from processes to use in other production
steps.
Spe ci fi c En e rg y C o n su m pti o n Wi l l Fa l l Fu rth e r
Over the last five years, WACKER has taken various steps to save energy: from 2007 to 2012, we cut specific
energy consumption by as much as 22 percent. A further reduction of 11 percent by 2022 is now the target.
Overall, we will have brought our specific energy consumption down by one-third by 2022.
The importance of sustainability to us is demonstrated by the fact that we have made it one of our five strategic
goals and have compiled our own Code of Sustainability to deal with this aspect of our activities. Sustainable
development means balancing economic, ecological and social factors in everything we do.
To ensure that sustainability becomes even more rooted within our company and to ensure that it is put into
daily practice, we set up an internal Corporate Sustainability department. This unit oversees the implementation
of WACKER’s voluntary commitments under Responsible Care ® and the Global Compact and coordinates our
sustainability activities worldwide.
One statistic we are not satisfied with is our accident frequency. Although we recorded fewer reportable
accidents than the German chemical industry average, in terms of workplace accidents with missed workdays,
we are behind those chemical companies that lead the way in occupational safety. Thus, we are systematically
implementing our new WACKER Safety Plus (WSP) program, which incorporates successful safety elements
from sites that have particularly low accident rates.
6
About WACKER
So ci a l In vo l ve m e n t
Our success in business is also down to the confidence society places in us, and we are committed to
charitable projects. For instance, 2013 is the seventh year in a row that we have donated to a German
children’s and youth charity called the Ark (“Die Arche”). Since 2012, our employees have been able to
regularly donate the cent amounts on their monthly paychecks to WACKER’s relief fund, with the company
doubling the workforce donations. In this way, a third of our employees in Germany support and sustain the
foundation’s projects, which focus on schools and vocational training facilities. CHEM2DO is the name of our
new and revised experiment kit for schools. It gives students an opportunity to explore two of our important
product groups, namely silicones and cyclodextrins, and we have now also developed a Germany-wide
special training course to familiarize teachers with the kit.
As confirmed by studies and surveys in Germany and elsewhere, WACKER continues to be an extremely
popular employer. As for many companies, demographic change is posing a challenge for us. We must
redouble our efforts if we want to stay attractive to graduates in critical disciplines and to our employees. For
this reason, we are now introducing a groupwide talent-management process which will serve to fill key
positions and identify and develop suitable candidates for challenging tasks.
As a company that has committed itself to sustainability, we are more than aware that achieving sustainability
is a never-ending process – and in the last two years, we have made considerable progress along the way.
Munich, Germany – September 2013
Dr. Rudolf Staudigl
President & CEO of
Wacker Chemie AG
7
About WACKER
Geared for Efficiency
Christian Kaltenmarkner considerably reduced his plant’s energy consumption and intends to achieve a great
deal more.
WAC KER ’ s co m pre h e n si ve e n e rg y m a n a g e m e n t h a s bro u g h t a bo u t a 2 2 - pe rce n t re d u cti o n i n
i ts spe ci fi c e n e rg y co n su m pti o n i n G e rm a n y o ve r th e l a st fi ve ye a rs. Th e G ro u p h a s d e fi n e d
co n cre te e n e rg y ta rg e ts fo r th e ye a rs a h e a d .
Being cautious by nature, Christian Kaltenmarkner had been worrying about the matter for some time. The
chemical engineer was aware that certain improvements to his silane distillation facility needed to be made.
The rising energy costs were cause for concern. Modification work would improve the situation, yet
Kaltenmarkner hesitated. Given the fact that corrosive hydrogen chloride is formed when chlorosilane comes
into contact with atmospheric humidity, this had to be prevented at all costs. So, numerous tests had been
conducted to practically eliminate technical risks. But was it possible to carry out the numerous modifications
on the columns within the tight schedule of just two weeks? “I was acutely aware that we had to have a 100percent success rate,” recalled Kaltenmarkner. Otherwise, the raw-material supply for Burghausen’s entire
silicone production would have been jeopardized.
Today, he is so pleased that, despite misgivings, he went
ahead with the modifications. By means of a heatintegration system, he is able to utilize the unused heat from
one plant as a power supply for other facilities. “The result
proved even more successful than we had hoped,” said the
41-year-old, looking out of his office at the distillation
columns, steel cylinders rising up to an imposing height of
60 meters.
The raw materials for producing silicones in pure form are
extracted in the 14 columns. The distillation process
separates a liquid silane mixture into individual components.
Yet distillation requires a great deal of energy, which pushes
up running costs considerably. The modification work now
saves Kaltenmarkner over €2 million in energy costs
annually.
To save energy, the facility heads and energy
managers work together closely.
Such energy-saving projects are immensely important at
WACKER. As the main plant, Burghausen’s daily energy requirements equal those of a town with roughly
230,000 inhabitants. Due to rising oil and gas prices, energy costs account for an ever-increasing portion of the
manufacturing costs, and currently amount to around 12 percent.
8
About WACKER
Spe ci fi c En e rg y Ta rg e ts
Consequently, not only is energy efficiency important for climate protection, it is also essential to a competitive
position on the world market. “Naturally, we want to conserve energy and raw materials,” says Dr. Jutta
Matreux, responsible for sustainability throughout the Group. “Commercial acumen plays a key role in any
sustainability policy.”
This is why WACKER has reduced specific energy
consumption in Germany by 22 percent over the last five
years. WACKER has defined concrete energy targets for the
years ahead: annual specific-energy savings of 1.5 percent
are to be achieved in Germany by 2022. In total, resource
consumption per production output is to be reduced by a
third. “This is very ambitious,” says Jochen Lediger. “But we
know exactly where to start.”
Lediger is one of the people at WACKER responsible for
implementing these energy targets. The Burghausen site’s
integrated heat-utilization system already provides 44
percent of the total heat requirements. The energy manager
has an overview of the entire system consisting of energy
consumers and energy flows. He also ensures that energy
saving is maximized during production at the Burghausen
It’s Jochen Lediger’s job to implement the
site. Over the last seven years, he and his colleagues have
energy targets.
closely examined all energy-intensive plants. “We went
through the facilities and worked out improvements with the people on site,” explains Lediger. To date, his
team has implemented 150 energy-saving projects, most of which have already paid themselves off.
One of these was the modification work to Christian Kaltenmarkner’s distillation columns. The idea was to
complement the heat-integration system by means of new inner mechanisms designed to raise plant
efficiency. A 50-strong crew worked around the clock to cut several kilometers of old support rings out from the
columns. The schedule was so tight that acceptance of the welded joints by the German technical inspectorate
(“TÜV”) took place at 4 a.m. Yet production resumed as planned after two weeks of modification work.
In order to gauge the success of such measures, Jochen Lediger and his team have made a concerted effort
to collect energy data over the past few years. They have installed new measuring devices and automated
others. Previously, consumption measurements were carried out once a month, but now, hourly readings are
possible, enabling Lediger to track precisely when, where and how much energy is consumed.
In 2012, WACKER had its German sites’ energy
management system certified to ISO 50001. The audits
resulted in good ratings for Lediger and his team. The aim of
certification is to make energy consumption even more
efficient.
Using new software which supports the recording of energy
data, invoicing, planning and forecasting, Lediger can
ascertain how much energy will be required for production
the following day and how much electricity and heat
WACKER will produce. For example, his calculations will
depend on whether all the turbines in the power station are
operating. Another determining factor is the weather: on a
rainy day, more water drives the turbines in the hydroelectric
plant than is normally the case. The precise forecasts make it
easier to calculate how much energy to procure. If
Heat-recovery steam generator above the
necessary, electricity for an extra hour or two can be
turbine inside the Burghausen site’s combinedpurchased to cover demand at night or on weekends.
cycle gas turbine power station.
In any case, WACKER itself produces 45 percent of the electricity needed by its German sites. Most of it is
produced in a combined-cycle gas turbine power station at the center of the site grounds in Burghausen: an
unimposing structure, remarkable only in terms of its size, while inside, massive turbines and steam
generators convert natural gas into steam and electricity. Stefan Seidel, in charge of the power plant, enjoys
viewing the Burghausen site from the vantage point of the power-station roof at an elevation of 52 meters. At
9
About WACKER
this height, the site, with its innumerable production facilities, pipelines and offices, resembles the motherboard
of a PC. “It is rather impressive,” he says, “considering that we supply the energy for all the production plants.”
G e n e ra ti n g H yd ro po w e r Si n ce 1 9 2 2
Seidel knows that energy generation exerts a profound
influence on production costs and, consequently, on the
success of the company. State-of-the art plants are essential.
The generating station works as a combined heat and power
plant. It produces electricity and process steam
simultaneously. At over 80 percent, the level of fuel efficiency
is twice that of conventional power plants.
Plus, the Burghausen site uses environmentally compatible
hydropower. From the roof of the power plant, Stefan Seidel
points to the Alz canal, a greenish-brown ribbon meandering
through the site, culminating directly above the Salzach river
at the power-station surge tank. This WACKER subsidiary
has been supplying electricity for production since the days of
Dr. Alexander Wacker, the company’s founder, back in 1922,
Power plant head Stefan Seidel supplies
when it went into operation as the largest industrial
energy for WACKER’s largest site.
hydroelectric plant in Germany. Today, it is still capable of
supplying electricity for 90,000 households with zero carbon dioxide emissions, says Stefan Seidel.
However, Seidel cannot rest on these laurels. His task involves continuously optimizing the Burghausen site’s
energy supply, for which an integrated production system such as WACKER’s provides conducive conditions.
“Many innovations come from employees,” he remarks. For example, two engineers recently suggested that
the process water, which needs to be pre-heated prior to desalination, could first be run over the power-plant
turbines as cooling water. A small change costing little, but achieving much: Seidel calculates annual savings
of several hundred thousand euros.
Christian Kaltenmarkner, too, has become an efficiency
expert with his silane distillation facility. He has an excellent
view of his plant from his third-floor office. He points at the
new condensate line: “It saves up to €200,000 per year.” He
adds that new, more accurate detectors measuring
permitted impurities in the siloxane yield up to €100,000 a
year.
His key energy figures have never been this good,
Kaltenmarkner relates proudly. Nevertheless, both he and
Stefan Seidel are buzzing with ideas for the future as to how
they can make their plants even more efficient. “That’s the
exciting thing about my job: I can operate my own energysaving lever like a small-scale entrepreneur,” says
Kaltenmarkner. He is one of the people the energy
managers can depend on.
Alz werke power station: generating
environmentally compatible hydroelectricity for
over 90 years.
Tra cki n g D o w n En e rg y L o ss
The newest tool available to energy managers is the energy cascade. Using computer models, experts
compare a theoretical optimum value with the actual energy consumed by large, energy-intensive plants. The
model identifies the sources of energy losses. The simulation enables production managers to determine even
more accurately where potential electricity and heat savings are to be achieved and when optimization would
pay off. In 2012, the energy cascade was implemented in three Burghausen-based plants, and 2013 will see
the powder dryer in Nanjing, China, profiting from this energy-saving system.
10
About WACKER
Foundations for a New Life
Now that they have a new house, Byamungu Jafari and his wife Gilberte finally have stability in their lives.
Th e H a bi ta t fo r H u m a n i ty o rg a n i z a ti o n h e l ps po o r fa m i l i e s g e t th e i r o w n h o m e s. Its m i ssi o n
g re a tl y a ppe a l s to e m pl o ye e s a t WAC KER POL YMER S. Th e y h a ve be e n l e n d i n g th e i r su ppo rt
to H a bi ta t pro j e cts fo r m a n y ye a rs – a n d n o t j u st w i th ca sh d o n a ti o n s.
Holding his visitorʼs hand in both of his, Byamungu Jafari pauses briefly to savor the moment. “Welcome,” he
then says; his tone is solemn, in honor of the occasion. An everyday occurrence for some, yet for him it is
something special: to receive guests. In oneʼs own house.
It is a simple house, with four rooms, situated in one of the neighborhoods in the former steel producing
industrial town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Jafari, a slender man wearing a bright yellow T-shirt shows us into
the living room. A year ago, he moved into their home with his wife Gilberte and two sons, Mugisha and
Tomas. At that time, his daughter Annick, a sunny little girl in a pink dress, had yet to be born. For the family, it
was a turning point. “Our lives changed dramatically,” said the home owner. “We are more stable and happier.
Weʼre doing really well.”
Flight from his native country, persecution, makeshift camps
– until recently, these were the conditions that shaped the life
of the 31-year-old African. The fact that he and his family
now have a permanent home is thanks to the combined
efforts of Habitat for Humanity and some 90 WACKER
POLYMERS employees in Allentown, a neighboring town of
Bethlehem. Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization
supported by former US President Jimmy Carter and his
wife, Rosalynn. Its goal is to offer people a chance for social
stability by providing them with a home of their own: people
who deserve a chance like this because they, for their part,
are prepared to invest energy and effort.
Habitatʼs philosophy is: People who live in decent homes
gain far more than a roof over their heads. Especially for
poor families, a house represents emotional security and a
Acting on behalf of others: Deborah Matelan
sound basis, enabling them to live better and healthier lives
(WACKER POLYMERS) and Deb Cummins (on
– within the family and in the workplace. This is why the
left, Lehigh Valley Habitat for Humanity).
organization helps them to build a home – providing land,
building material, money, and volunteers who offer their services. However, it is a gift attached to conditions:
the families must repay the zero-interest-rate loans they receive. Additionally, each adult must work at least
250 hours on the building site – the so-called “sweat equity.” “We offer people a helping hand. But the onus is
11
About WACKER
on them to pull themselves up,” said Deb Cummins, Executive Director of the Lehigh Valley Habitat for
Humanity.
D o n a ti o n s a n d Mu scl e Po w e r
This principle appealed to WACKER POLYMERS staff. In 2010, following a suggestion made by Doug Timmel,
the then senior director of Sales in North America, and Scott Borst, then Vice President of Construction
Polymers, they agreed to support Habitat projects. Since that time, donations of material goods and cash have
averaged around $17,500 annually. Furthermore, 14 Allentown-based WACKER POLYMERS employees
helped by supplying their muscle power: they painted and installed flooring. The company gives employees one
eight-hour day for volunteer time per year. “They get back more than they put it in and are so enthusiastic about
how fulfilling the experience was for them,” reports Deborah Matelan, senior chemist at WACKER POLYMERS,
who coordinated the collaboration with Habitat. Several employees actually volunteer their own personal time
beyond their usual eight-hour work day schedule.
Matelan is committed to the project. With great vigor, she
enlisted helpers, planned their program and furnished them
with information. “It is time consuming, but I do it gladly. I
want the cooperation to be a success.” She approves of the
idea that everyone involved benefits: the families get a
house and a home, the volunteers have fun and feel good
about themselves and, by serving the community, the
company responsibly enhances its reputation by giving back
to the community. In the USA, it is even more important for a
company to assume social responsibility than in Germany.
“When it comes to sustainability, very few people think of the
social aspect,” says Matelan. “But as a company, we must
take an interest in our surroundings and the people who live
here, and offer our support.”
For Habitat’s Deb Cummins, WACKER’s contribution is
especially important, because it is long-term and personal.
“Many companies sign a check and then disappear,” she
stated. “With WACKER, it is totally different.” After finishing the Jafariʼs home, the employees helped
rehabilitate an existing house for another Habitat-qualified family. This year, they extended their volunteer
efforts to support Habitat’s ReStore – a facility that resells donated new and used home furnishings and home
improvement items at very affordable prices.
WACKER POLYMERS is committed to Habitat – in
the long term and individually.
For some, the project is so important that they have asked Matelan to keep them on the volunteer list after they
retire. And, equally important, they also appeal to their business partners to support the project. “One of our
customers donated large quantities of paint,” remembers Matelan. “The employees who provided the paint
were so impressed by the project that they also registered as volunteers.” The paint suppliers worked side-byside with the WACKER POLYMERS volunteers.” It is like a snowball that gets bigger and bigger as it rolls along.
H o u se s fo r o ve r Th re e Mi l l i o n Pe o pl e
Habitat selects program beneficiaries with great care. Of the
many interested families seeking assistance in Allentown
and the surrounding area each year, fewer than 5 percent
are accepted. “People who are in debt or have declared
bankruptcy will have a much more difficult time qualifying for
the program,” declares Cummins, adding: “Even during the
financial crisis, we did not have a single foreclosure.” This is
especially important because the organization depends on
the repayments for new loans; it works like a self-renewing
fund. Founded in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1976, the organization
has built 600,000 houses to date, providing homes for over
three million people.
The Jafari family, too, have now joined the ranks of these
home owners. They were victims of the conflict between the
The future’s looking bright: the Jafaris with their
warring Tutsi and Hutu tribes in Central Africa. Originally
children Tomas, Mugisha and Annick (from left).
from Burundi, Byamungu Jafariʼs parents fled during the civil
war in 1972 to the neighboring country of what is now known as Republic of Congo. A few years later, unrest
12
About WACKER
there caused the family to flee once again, this time to Tanzania. For over ten years, they lived in primitive
conditions in camps where Byamungu was at least able to attend classes and complete his schooling. He then
began teaching younger students. In 2007, the go-ahead was given to UNHCR, the UNʼs refugee agency, for a
few hundred homeless families to enter the USA. The Jafaris were among the lucky few. Initially, they were
reluctant to go to a strange and unfamiliar place. “But what other option did we have? No one wanted us,” said
Mr. Jafari.
After relocating to Pennsylvania, they lived in extremely cramped emergency and temporary quarters, having
just basic sanitation. Byamungu Jafari was fortunate enough to find employment at a supermarket warehouse;
a typical starter job. He envied neighbors their car parked on the driveway; a driveway leading to their own
home. To him, this seemed far beyond his reach ‒ until a friend told him about Habitat for Humanity of the
Lehigh Valley.
Now they are settling down in their new life: finding a
balance between what they wish for and what is possible.
There is the new black sofa and the old scratched coffee
table. To prevent the children from spoiling the lovely dining
sets, Gilberte Jafari has covered the dining room table with a
transparent plastic cover. She is proud of the washing
machine that makes life so much easier. Five-year-old
Tomas has just started preschool and his father dreams of
becoming a teacher. To achieve this goal, heʼd have to go to
college, which is expensive. He knows, because heʼs made
inquiries. He looks at the floor; his face reflects his somber
mood. But then, raising his eyes, he looks at his son and his
living room. Who knows what is possible? With a note of
hope in his voice he says: “Nobody knows what the future
holds.”
Byamungu Jafari dreams of becoming a teacher.
13
About WACKER
Key Events 2010 – 2012
April 6, 2010
New T raining Facilit ies
The WACKER ACADEMY grows, with new training
centers opening in São Paulo (Brazil) and Singapore.
Such centers offer an ideal platform for exchanging
expertise with local customers and partners. The focus
is on industry-specific courses, covering not only
polymer chemistry, but also silicone applications.
April 21, 2010
St art -Up of Polysilicon
Facilit ies
Burghausen sees additional polycrystalline-silicon
facilities come on stream. Overall, WACKER has
invested about €500 million in this expansion stage,
which creates some 200 new jobs. The new facilities
manufacture material for the solar industry and
semiconductor market.
June 7, 2010
Acquisit ion of Silicon-Met al
Plant
WACKER acquires a silicon-metal plant in Holla from
Norway’s FESIL Group. This strategic acquisition
means WACKER can cover its long-term siliconmetal needs. The Holla plant makes WACKER more
independent of raw-material price fluctuations and
increases supply security.
14
About WACKER
November 18, 2010
Opening of Largest Silicone
Sit e
At Zhangjiagang, WACKER and Dow Corning open
China’s largest integrated silicone site. From this
location, both companies can now meet the soaring
demand for silicones in China, and Asia as a whole.
The joint investments for this project total US$1.8
billion.
December 9, 2010
New Polysilicon Sit e
WACKER starts constructing a new, fully integrated
polysilicon site in the US State of Tennessee. The
production complex, with an annual capacity of 20,000
metric tons, is expected to come on stream in 2015. At
about US$2 billion, this new site is WACKER’s single
largest investment ever.
June 9, 2011
Best Innovat or Award
WACKER receives Germany’s Best Innovator Award
in the Chemical category for its sustainable innovation
management. A.T. Kearney and German business
weekly “WirtschaftsWoche” organized the
competition, in which more than 100 companies
participated.
15
About WACKER
September 24, 2011
Open House
WACKER holds an “open house” to commemorate
the International Year of Chemistry in 2011. At the
Burghausen, Freiberg and Cologne sites, visitors
spend a day looking behind the scenes. Over 20,000
take the opportunity to attend plant tours, experiment
demonstrations and product presentations.
October 10, 2011
Polysilicon Product ion at
Nünchrit z
The production of hyperpure polysilicon begins at
Nünchritz. WACKER invested some €900 million in
the facilities, which create more than 500 new jobs.
The production complex utilizes highly integrated
material cycles. Byproducts are reprocessed and then
used as basic materials for creating further value.
October 19, 2011
Pyrogenic Silica Plant
WACKER and Dow Corning Corporation inaugurate
the second expansion stage of their joint pyrogenic
silica plant at Zhangjiagang, China. This plant,
together with a siloxane plant, forms the heart of the
integrated silicone production site developed by
WACKER and Dow Corning.
16
About WACKER
December 8, 2011
Closure of Sit e in Japan
The Siltronic division streamlines its 200 mm wafer
capacities and closes its production site at Hikari
(Japan) during 2012. Hikari’s production volumes are
transferred to Siltronic’s 200 mm wafer plants in
Singapore and Portland (Oregon, USA). The closure
of Hikari, which has some 500 employees, is effected
in as socially responsible a manner as possible.
Siltronic maintains both its local sales force and
engineering support unit in Japan.
March 5, 2012
Expansion of Nanjing Sit e
WACKER invests around €40 million in two new
production facilities at Nanjing. A new reactor with an
annual output of 60,000 metric tons is added to the
existing facilities for vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer
(VAE) dispersions. Work starts on building a new plant
for polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) solid resins, with an
annual capacity of 20,000 metric tons. It is expected to
come on stream in late 2013.
July 12, 2012
Innovat ion Award
Three WACKER researchers receive the Alexander
Wacker Innovation Award for dispersions based on
vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymers. Used as coatings,
these novel dispersions ensure that the print on
cardboard packaging, for example, is particularly
durable and vividly colored. They also offer cost
advantages compared with acrylate-based products.
17
About WACKER
July 19, 2012
500 Million Cart ridges
Produced
WACKER’s Nünchritz site in Saxony, eastern
Germany, has produced half a billion cartridges filled
with adhesives and sealants since starting production
there in 1998. Most customer orders for adhesives
and sealants produced at the site are filled into
cartridges bearing the customer’s own labels, and
delivered ready for sale.
September 24, 2012
Product ion Capacit ies
Doubled
At Ulsan in South Korea, WACKER builds a plant for
vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer (VAE) dispersions
with an annual capacity of 40,000 metric tons, nearly
doubling its capacity for VAE dispersions there.
Officially coming on stream on February 6, 2013, the
production complex is one of the biggest of its kind in
South Korea.
December 14, 2012
New Chinese Headquart ers
WACKER opens its new company headquarters for
the Greater China region (mainland China and
Taiwan). The Shanghai Center, which occupies some
10,000 square meters, features offices and
laboratories for R&D and applications technology.
Operations range from construction applications,
paints and coatings to products for the automotive,
cosmetics and textile sectors.
18
About WACKER
Group Structure and Operations
WACKER is a globally active company with state-of-the-art specialty chemical products. Our portfolio includes
over 3,200 products supplied to more than 3,500 customers in over 100 countries. WACKER products are
found in countless everyday items, ranging from cosmetic powders to solar cells.
Si l i co n Is Ou r Ma i n Sta rti n g Ma te ri a l
Most of our products are based on inorganic starting materials. Silicon-based products account for 80 percent of
WACKER sales, and products that are primarily ethylene-related for 20 percent. Our customers come from
virtually every major sector, ranging from consumer goods, food, pharmaceuticals, textiles and the solar,
electrical/electronics and basic-chemical industries, to medical technology, biotech and mechanical
engineering. As a manufacturer of silicones and polymers, WACKER is particularly well represented in the
automotive and construction sectors. We are also a key supplier of silicon wafers to the semiconductor industry.
In recent years, we have greatly expanded our polycrystalline-silicon business for the solar industry, where
WACKER is one of the world’s largest manufacturers.
Te ch n i ca l C o m pe te n ce C e n te rs Se rve a s th e Ba si s o f Sa l e s & Ma rke ti n g
WACKER operates all over the world. Our sales strategy is centered around expanding our presence in growth
markets. Our sales organization is supplemented by a network of technical competence centers, where
customers learn about WACKER’s product portfolio, and by the WACKER ACADEMY, where we offer technical
training sessions on our products and their application fields. In 2012, we opened a new technical competence
center in Mexico City – primarily for polymer-binder applications. At the same time, we set up a new branch of
the WACKER ACADEMY there. We expanded our existing technical competence centers in São Paulo (Brazil),
Singapore, Seoul (South Korea) and Dubai (UAE). Last year, Siltronic opened a new sales office and a
technical competence center in Seoul. In total, WACKER has 53 sales offices in 29 countries.
Pro d u cti o n Si te i n H i ka ri Sh u t D o w n
Following the complete shutdown of our production site in Hikari (Japan), WACKER’s global production
network comprises 24 sites (in 2011: 25). Of these, eight are in Europe, seven in the Americas and nine in Asia.
The Group’s key production site is Burghausen (Germany), with 9,249 employees. In 2012, Burghausen’s
manufacturing output reached around 680,000 metric tons. That is over 50 percent of groupwide production
output. At Nünchritz (Saxony), our first polysilicon production facility outside Burghausen entered full operation
in April 2012, with a nominal capacity of 15,000 metric tons per year. Alongside Burghausen, Nünchritz is
WACKER’s second multidivisional site.
19
About WACKER
Legal Structure
Our legal structure has not changed compared to the previous reporting period. In November 2005, WACKER
became a stock corporation (AG) under German law. Headquartered in Munich, Wacker Chemie AG holds a
direct or indirect stake in 55 companies belonging to the WACKER Group. Our financial statements include 50
companies that have been fully consolidated and four accounted for using the equity method. As of July 1,
2012, one small company is no longer recognized using the equity method, but as an investment as per IAS
39, since WACKER no longer exercises significant influence. One small company that is not part of our core
operations has not been consolidated.
Fi ve Ope ra ti n g D i vi si o n s
WACKER is based on a matrix organization with clearly defined functions. The Group has five business
divisions, which have global responsibility for their own products, manufacturing facilities, markets, customers
and results. Regional organizations are responsible for all business in their countries. WACKER’s corporate
departments primarily provide services for the whole Group, although some also have production-related
functions.
WAC KER ’ s Stru ctu re
G ro u p Stru ctu re i n Te rm s o f Ma n a g e ri a l R e spo n si bi l i ty
20
About WACKER
Management and Supervision
In compliance with the German Stock Corporation Act (AktG), Wacker Chemie AG has a two-tier management
system, comprising the Executive Board and Supervisory Board. Wacker Chemie AG’s Executive Board
consists of four members. Wacker Chemie AG is the parent company and thus determines the Group’s
strategy, overall management, resource allocation, funding, and communications with key target groups
(especially with the capital market and shareholders).
There were no changes to either the composition or responsibilities of the Executive Board members during the
period under review. New workers’ representatives took office on Wacker Chemie AG’s Supervisory Board
during the reporting period. Uwe Fritz resigned his office as of May 31, 2011. His successor, Harald Sikorski,
assumed his responsibilities as of June 1, 2011. As of December 31, 2011, the middle management
representative Dr. Konrad Bachhuber resigned his Supervisory Board position. Konrad Kammergruber was
elected to replace him, effective January 1, 2012.
D e cl a ra ti o n o n C o rpo ra te Ma n a g e m e n t
Submitted as per Section 289a of the German Commercial Code (HGB), the declaration on corporate
management forms part of the corporate governance report. This declaration is part of the combined
management report and is also available online. It contains the Executive and Supervisory Boards’ work
procedures, the declaration of conformity pursuant to Section 161 of the German Stock Corporation Act (AktG),
and information on key corporate management practices. www.wacker.com/corporate-governance
21
About WACKER
Key Products, Services and Business Processes
Our divisions’ overall range of products and services remained unchanged. In several application areas, we
expanded our portfolio during the period under review. Our WACKER SILICONES division provides customers
with our broadest offering of over 2,800 products – ranging from silicone-based fluids, emulsions, resins,
elastomers and sealants, to silanes and pyrogenic silica grades. The division manufactures both specialty
products tailored to customers’ specific needs, and standard products primarily used as starting materials in the
production of silicones.
WACKER POLYMERS manufactures state-of-the-art binders and polymeric additives (such as dispersible
polymer powders and dispersions). These are used in diverse industrial applications or as base chemicals.
Customers include the paints, coatings, paper and adhesives industries. Last year, business expanded strongly
in the carpet industry, where our dispersions are increasingly replacing styrene-butadiene. The main customer
for polymeric binders is the construction industry, which uses them as additives in tile adhesives, dry-mix
mortars, self-leveling flooring compounds, and EIFS (exterior insulation and finish systems)/ETICS (external
thermal insulation composite systems).
WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS, our smallest division, supplies customized biotech and catalog products for the
fine-chemical sector. Products include pharmaceutical proteins, cyclodextrins, cysteine, polyvinyl acetate solid
resins (for gumbase), organic intermediates and acetylacetone. The division focuses on customer-specific
solutions for growth areas, such as food additives, pharmaceutical actives and agrochemicals.
WACKER POLYSILICON produces hyperpure polysilicon for the semiconductor, electronics and – above all –
solar sectors. Most of this polysilicon is sent to external customers. Internally, we supply both Siltronic and its
Siltronic Samsung Wafer joint venture.
Siltronic supplies leading semiconductor manufacturers with silicon wafers. These wafers form the
fundamental basis for virtually all semiconductor products – whether for discrete semiconductor components
(e.g. transistors and rectifiers) or microchips (e.g. microprocessors and memory chips).
D i vi si o n a l Sh a re s i n Exte rn a l Sa l e s
Exte rn a l Sa l e s by C u sto m e r H e a d q u a rte rs
€ million
Germany
Other European countries
The Americas
Asia
Other regions
G ro u p
2012
2011
2010
6 8 6 .0
8 9 9 .4
887.3
1 ,0 9 0 .7
1 ,1 8 6 .7
1,175.4
8 3 4 .2
8 4 6 .4
818.2
1 ,8 6 2 .0
1 ,8 2 2 .0
1,717.4
1 6 2 .0
1 5 5 .2
150.1
4 ,6 3 4 .9
4 ,9 0 9 .7
4,748.4
22
About WACKER
Governance and Shareholder Structure
Corporate governance is an important part of a company’s success, responsible corporate management and
supervision. Wacker Chemie AG attaches great importance to the rules of proper corporate governance. In this
report, the Executive Board provides details – also for the Supervisory Board – on corporate governance in
accordance with Item 3.10 of the German Corporate Governance Code (Code) and Section 289a (1) of the
German Commercial Code (HGB).
D e cl a ra ti o n o f C o n fo rm i ty a n d C o rpo ra te G o ve rn a n ce R e po rti n g
In the 2012 fiscal year, the Executive and Supervisory Boards dealt intensively with the company’s corporate
governance and the alterations to the Code published on May 15, 2012. The Executive Board and the
Supervisory Board resolved on December 6 and December 12, respectively, to issue the following Declaration
of Conformity as per Section 161 of the German Stock Corporation Act (AktG). The Declaration of Conformity
was made permanently available to the general public on the company’s website.
Th e 2 0 1 2 D e cl a ra ti o n o f C o n fo rm i ty Issu e d by Wa cke r C h e m i e AG ’ s Exe cu ti ve a n d
Su pe rvi so ry Bo a rd s
G e n e ra l D e cl a ra ti o n Pu rsu a n t to Se cti o n 1 6 1 o f th e G e rm a n Sto ck C o rpo ra ti o n Act
In December 2011, the Executive Board and the Supervisory Board of Wacker Chemie AG issued their last
declaration of conformity pursuant to Section 161 of the German Stock Corporation Act. Since that time,
Wacker Chemie AG has complied with the recommendations of the German Corporate Governance Code in
the version dated May 26, 2010, with the following exceptions, and will continue to comply with the
recommendations of the Code in the version dated May 15, 2012, except as follows .
Sh a re h o l d e r Stru ctu re
Wacker Chemie AG’s largest shareholder is still Dr. Alexander Wacker Familiengesellschaft mbH, Munich. It
holds over 50 percent of the voting shares in Wacker Chemie AG (2011: over 50 percent). Blue Elephant
Holding GmbH (Pöcking, Germany) once again had no voting-share changes to report in 2012. That means it
still holds over 10 percent (2011: over 10 percent) of Wacker Chemie AG. Pursuant to a voting-rights
notification in March 2012, BlackRock, Inc., New York, USA, holds under 3 percent of the voting shares in
Wacker Chemie AG.
23
About WACKER
Goals and Outlook
Management
ST AT US OF GOALS FOR 2009/2010
Certify the Group to ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 14001 (environment), Group certification
Corporate entity: Groupwide
Deadline: 2011
Implementation status: Goal was realized to a large extent. Almost all our production sites are now included in
the Group certificate. Not yet included are the sites in Brazil, India and Jincheon (South Korea), which have
corresponding individual certificates. Some, including Jincheon, are scheduled for inclusion on the Group
certificate in the next few years.
Certify all WACKER sites to the internationally recognized OHSAS occupational health and safety
management system
Deadline: 2015
Implementation status: In the reporting period, our sites used checklists to assess their degree of compliance
with OHSAS 18001 and to identify gaps. This goal has been amended to provide for the introduction of an
OHSAS 18001 occupational health and safety management system, initially without formal certification, but
with internal auditing of all WACKER sites.
Employee Suggestion Program (BVW): Reach a total benefit from suggestions of at least €10 million per year
Corporate entity: Germany
Deadline: 2009 to 2011
Implementation status: Goal was exceeded on average. Total benefits were €12.4 million in 2009, €11.9
million in 2010 and €9.4 million in 2011.
Employee Suggestion Program (BVW): Increase the participation rate (number of submitters per 100
employees) from 28 to 50 percent (referenced to 2008)
Deadline: by 2011
Implementation status: The goal was not achieved. The participation rate climbed to 34 percent. Our goal is still
for every second employee to contribute ideas.
NEW GOALS
Introduction of the internationally recognized OHSAS 18001 occupational health and safety management
system at all WACKER sites, with verification through internal audits
Deadline: 2015
Employee Suggestion Program (BVW): Increase the participation rate (number of submitters per 100
employees) from 28 to 50 percent (referenced to 2008)
Deadline: Ongoing every year
FUT URE T OPICS
Ma n a g e m e n t Syste m s
During 2013, WACKER will extend Group certification to the Jincheon site in South Korea. German sites are to
introduce an OHSAS 18001 (occupational safety) management system. Wacker Chemie AG’s ISO 14001
(environmental protection) certification is to be merged with that of Siltronic AG.
Su sta i n a bi l i ty R e po rti n g
In 2013, the sustainability management unit will finish installing the new SPIRIT platform for reporting key
figures, incidents and audits and start using it on a regular basis.
24
About WACKER
Mu l ti pl e U sa g e o f Im pro ve m e n t Su g g e sti o n s
WACKER intends to extend multiple usage of employees’ improvement suggestions. Implemented ideas will
be assessed for their transferability to other areas and operations. This approach in Germany yielded average
additional annual savings of €500,000 in recent years. The goal is for all sites outside Germany to have
introduced multiple usage by 2014.
Environment
Calculate indirect emissions from the purchase of energy (Scope 2 emissions as per Greenhouse Gas
Protocol)
Deadline: 2011
Implementation status: Goal achieved
NEW GOALS
Lower our average specific energy consumption (amount of energy per net production volume) by a further 11
percent from 2013 on. Overall, from 2007 to 2022, we will have brought our specific energy down by one-third.
Corporate entity: WACKER Germany
Deadline: 2022
FUT URE T OPICS
En e rg y
WACKER will continue to improve its energy efficiency. Due to the acquisition of the silicon-metal plant in Holla
(Norway), primary-energy consumption and thus carbon dioxide emissions and electricity consumption are
expected to continue to rise. Our electricity consumption will also increase once polysilicon production starts up
at our US site in Tennessee, scheduled for 2015.
Em i ssi o n s Tra d i n g
The necessary emissions certificates have been allotted to us free of charge for the 2008 – 2012 trading period.
We assume that we will have to contend with additional, medium-term charges due to the purchase of
emissions certificates. We limit the costs for the emissions required by constantly working to improve our
facilities’ energy efficiency. The only effects associated with a surplus of emissions certificates that WACKER
has experienced to date relate to electricity price rises. Since 2013, in accordance with EU and national
decisions, we need to include individual production facilities in the trading system, as well as the power plants
that are already subject to emissions trading.
Bi o d i ve rsi ty
In 1992, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development passed the Convention on
Biological Diversity. In May 2011, the EU Commission published a biodiversity strategy to 2020. The German
Chemical Industry Association (VCI) is preparing a related policy document, to which WACKER, as a VCI
member, is contributing.
Products
Product Saf et y
Submit 66 registration dossiers to the ECHA for substances between 100 and 1,000 metric tons a year
Deadline: 2013
Implementation status: goal achieved in June 2013 with 67 registration dossiers
25
About WACKER
NEW GOAL
We will publish GPS Safety Summaries – which will make information on material properties publicly
accessible – for the substances we have registered with the ECHA. The Global Product Strategy (GPS)
contains rules for the assessment of the properties of chemicals and on how to provide information on their
safe use. So far, we have published 41 GPS Safety Summaries
on the ICCA website.
Deadline: The relevant GPS Safety Summaries are to be published on the ICCA website at the latest one year
after the registration of our substances with the ECHA. This will probably amount to more than 300 substances
by the end of 2018.
FUT URE T OPICS
R EAC H
We are preparing a further 190 substance dossiers for the third stage of REACH, which runs until mid-2018. We
will continue to implement REACH legislation even beyond 2018. For example, new substances will have to be
registered. In addition, we will have to update existing dossiers if the annual production of a particular
substance exceeds the current threshold, if our customers use substances for new purposes, if new findings
come to light about a substance, or if the European Commission amends the detailed provisions of REACH.
During the coming REACH stages until 2018 and beyond, our Procurement department will continue to ask our
suppliers whether the substances and mixtures supplied to us will meet the deadlines for ECHA registration.
GHS
In 2013, we will establish an English-language, non-EU-specific version of the online GHS training for our
employees, which we will particularly use at our US sites.
Product St ewardship
FUT URE T OPICS
The Group’s research and development work remains focused on key strategic projects. Our priorities remain
the highly promising fields of energy, catalysis, biotechnology, construction applications and semiconductors.
We are devoting particular attention to energy storage and renewable energy generation.
WACKER will continue to participate in the National Platform for Electric Mobility, an initiative launched jointly
by the German government and industry. The common goal is for at least one million electric vehicles to be on
the road in Germany by 2020.
Po l ysi l i co n Pro d u cti o n
In photovoltaics, we will continue to strengthen our technological lead in polysilicon production. Our aim is to
improve our silicon deposition process and to enhance our closed production loop, which ranges from silicon
metal – through hyperpure solar-grade and electronic-grade silicon – to silicones and pyrogenic silica.
WACKER will substantially expand its production capacity for hyperpure polysilicon to meet increasing demand
from the photovoltaic industry and to support the switch to renewable energy sources. What’s more, we are
building a new polysilicon production facility in Cleveland (Tennessee), with an annual capacity of 20,000
metric tons. This is scheduled to come on stream in 2015. WACKER’s overall polysilicon capacity will then
increase to 72,000 metric tons.
Our development projects are focused on further boosting the efficiency of polysilicon production processes. We
believe, for example, there is considerable scope for reducing specific energy consumption. Lower production
costs will further enhance the competitiveness of photovoltaic power generation. Polysilicon can thus be a
crucial contributor to the success of the energy transition – and not only in Germany.
En vi ro n m e n ta l Pro d u ct Asse ssm e n ts
WACKER will further deploy the WACKER ® Eco Assessment Tool as a standard tool across the Group. This will
help us assess the sustainability performance of our key product lines.
26
About WACKER
Safety
Reduce accident rate (number of accidents with lost workdays for every 1 million hours worked) from 4.3 to 2.0
(referenced to 2010)
Deadline: 2015
Implementation status: In 2011, the accident rate (number of workplace accidents with missed work days per 1
million hours worked) fell to 3.9. In 2012, this figure rose to 4.7. We are unhappy with the accident rate and are
redoubling our industrial safety measures, e.g. with our new WACKER Safety Plus program. This goal remains
in force.
NEW GOALS
Reduce accident rate (number of accidents with lost workdays for every 1 million hours worked) from 4.7 to 2.0
(referenced to 2012)
Deadline: 2015
Introduction of safety performance indicator “Accidents Leading to Work Days Missed by Employees of Partner
Companies”
Deadline: 2014
FUT URE T OPICS
WAC KER Sa fe ty Pl u s Pro g ra m
Our new safety program, WACKER Safety Plus (WSP) contains successful safety elements from sites that have
particularly low accident rates. Wacker Chemical Corporation, one of our subsidiaries in the USA, plans to roll
out WSP modules across the American sites from 2013 on.
Employees
All WACKER sites have access to qualified health services. Managerial staff and employees responsible for
occupational health issues receive special training
Deadline: 2015
Implementation status: Some 90 percent of our locations now have access to a health service. We have started
an international pilot project for training employees in occupational health.
Set up five strategic health programs: back health, cardiovascular health, psychological health, ergonomics,
disability management (dealing with employees with occupational disabilities)
Deadline: 2015
Implementation status: We have defined the basic elements of the occupational-health programs: information
on health topics, medical checkups for all employees, special advice for employees with risk factors, and
targeted intervention for employees with limited performance capability (e.g. due to rehabilitation measures).
These are scheduled for introduction across German sites by the end of 2013.
27
About WACKER
NEW GOALS
Introduction of new health performance indicators:
Annual influenza inoculation of at least 20 percent of the Group workforce
Occupational diseases that have a short latency period (number of new cases)
First aid/rescue chain: at least one medical emergency drill per production site per year; effective first aid
within three minutes
Completion of all scheduled occupational-health checkups on the basis of occupational hazard analyses
Each site to participate in Group campaigns on health promotion (in 2013: "Follow your heart")
Deadline: 2013
Introduction of a groupwide talent-management system to foster employees of high potential, and filling of key
positions
Deadline: 2014
FUT URE T OPICS
Ta l e n t Ma n a g e m e n t
WACKER is developing an IT-supported, systematic, groupwide talent-management system. The goal is to
identify or recruit internal or external candidates suitable for filling key positions and meeting challenging tasks
and to selectively foster these candidates.
Pre ve n ti ve H e a l th ca re fo r Sh i ft Wo rke rs
In 2013, WACKER launched another preventive healthcare project in partnership with the South German
branch of the country’s statutory retirement plan (Deutsche Rentenversicherung Süd) with a view to
counteracting demographic trends. The “Fit during Shift Work” pilot program teaches employees exercises that
enable them to better cope with the stress of shift work. This program, which is being piloted in the Burghausen
plant, comprises the following measures:
1.
2.
3.
4.
One week’s training in a contractual clinic
Three months’ supervised outpatient training on site
Six months’ autonomous training
Two-day refresher course and assessment in the contractual clinic
The effectiveness of these measures will be assessed after six months.
Society
Revise and reissue WACKER’s school experiment kit
Deadline: 2012
Implementation status: The goal was achieved. We launched a new experiment kit for schools called
CHEM2DO in 2012. It gives students an opportunity to explore modern silicones and cyclodextrins.
FUT URE T OPICS
ISOS XVII Sci e n ce C o n ve n ti o n a n d WAC KER Si l i co n e Aw a rd
In 2014, WACKER will partner with the Technical University of Berlin in organizing an international science
convention. The 17th International Symposium on Silicon Chemistry (ISOS XVII) and the jointly organized 7th
European Silicon Days in Berlin are expected to attract as many as 600 researchers from silicon and silicone
chemistry. During the convention, WACKER will present the WACKER Silicone Award for outstanding
achievements in this area of research for the 14th time.
28
About WACKER
Ope n H o u se
In 2014, WACKER sites in Burghausen, Nünchritz, Freiberg and Cologne will participate in the national open
house organized by the German chemical industry.
29
Management
Headed by Dr. Jutta Matreux, the Corporate Sustainability
department coordinates WACKER’s sustainability-related
work and steers implementation of the company‘s voluntary obligations in connection with Responsible Care® and
the UN’s Global Compact.
Management
M
a n a g e me n t
Vision and Goals
We redefined WACKER’s vision and strategic goals at the end of 2011. Taken as a whole, they form our
strategy’s foundation and express our performance aspirations. The focus of our strategy is profitable growth
and securing a leading competitive position in most of our business fields. The fact that we have made
sustainability one of our strategic goals emphasizes its importance. In 2012, our executives began introducing
the vision and goals at moderated group discussions throughout the company.
WAC KER ’ s Vi si o n
We d e ve l o p i n te l l i g e n t so l u ti o n s fo r su sta i n a bl e g ro w th .
WACKER, as an innovative chemical company, makes a vital contribution to improving the quality of life
around the world. In the future, we want to continue developing and supplying solutions that meet our rigorous
demands – creating added value for our customers and shareholders, and growing sustainably.
WAC KER ’ s G o a l s
WAC KER pro d u cts a n d so l u ti o n s a re o u r cu sto m e rs’ fi rst ch o i ce .
All our activities focus on our customers’ needs. Satisfied customers are the basis of our success.
We are continuously working on raising our product quality and enhancing our services. The better we
succeed at this, the more we can grow with our customers, deepen our understanding of their needs and
provide them with higher added value.
To achieve this, WACKER focuses on direct contact and on exchanging information personally. Through our
technical competence centers and the WACKER ACADEMY, we work closely with customers to develop
tailored solutions. Our strength lies in our long-term relationships, based on trust, with the people in our
markets.
We w a n t to be o n e o f th e w o rl d ’ s be st e m pl o ye rs.
Our employees’ health and safety are our greatest assets.
At WACKER, the success we achieve together is based on a supportive and challenging environment. We
ensure that our employees can develop their skills, realize their potential, assume responsibility, act
proactively and contribute their own ideas by offering them basic and advanced training opportunities. What
we expect is a performance-oriented mindset, coupled with sound professional and social skills.
To this end, we want to provide secure jobs, exceptional employee benefits and a work culture that facilitates
a positive work-life balance. Clearly focused on commercial success, we value teamwork that is based on
mutual reliance, trust and fairness.
We ta p n e w m a rke ts vi a pro d u ct a n d pro ce ss i n n o va ti o n s fo r to m o rro w ’ s w o rl d .
We develop products that are vital for tomorrow’s world. That’s why we invest in research and development.
Our innovative strength is reflected in the high sales percentage of new products.
We know how to transfer new production methods from development to globally competitive plants.
At WACKER, innovation also means “making what is good even better.” Our “Wacker Operating System”
(WOS) program aims at systematically optimizing our processes. Employees receive the necessary training
at our own WOS ACADEMY.
As the quality and cost leader in many of our business sectors, we realize that “becoming better is a neverending process.”
We co n ti n u o u sl y i n cre a se o u r co m pa n y va l u e .
WACKER sees itself as a performance-oriented company, geared toward increasing its long-term value.
Economic success is essential for pursuing and achieving our strategic goals.
Our annual sales should grow more than world GNP. We want to be among the most profitable companies in
our industry. This is why value-based management is fundamental to our corporate policies. We measure
our success against clearly defined key parameters and continuously focus on earning more than our cost of
capital.
31
Management
We want to be among the top three suppliers in each of our business sectors. To this end, we always strive to
strengthen our competitive edge in cost, quality and technology.
Ou r re spo n si bi l i ty a s a co m pa n y e xte n d s be yo n d o u r bu si n e ss a cti vi ti e s.
Our commitment to sustainability encompasses ecological, economical and social aspects. Our actions are
guided by the underlying principles of the UN’s Global Compact and the chemical industry’s Responsible
Care ® initiative.
Our products, technologies and processes meet the highest standards. For years, sustainability has been an
integral part of WACKER’s production and business processes. One of our greatest strengths is our closed
material loops, where we use byproducts from one production stage as starting materials for making other
products. This reduces our consumption of energy and other resources.
Our strong sense of social responsibility is based on deeply rooted values. We pursue this commitment in the
vicinity of our sites and wherever people are in distress around the world.
Society’s trust in our actions is an essential component of our long-term economic success.
To help meet our strategic goals, we are focusing on the highly promising fields of energy, urbanization and
construction, digitization, and greater prosperity in emerging countries. WACKER offers products that satisfy
these global trends.
Me g a tre n d s
WA CKER P rod uc ts
Energy
Polysilicon, and dispersible polymer powders for the insulation
of buildings
Urbanization and
construction
Silicone resin emulsion paints, dispersible polymer powders
(tile adhesives, flooring and sealing systems), dispersions for
paints and coatings
Digitization
Silicon wafers, silicones for encapsulation of electronic
components, polysilicon
Greater prosperity
in emerging countries
Silicones (textiles, construction, electronics, cosmetics),
cyclodextrins (food/agriculture), dispersible polymer powders
(construction), dispersions (paper and packaging industries)
Business Principles
Aside from our vision and goals, we have revised our business principles, which represent the third pillar of our
corporate policy guidelines. These principles – laid down in five corporate codes – govern how the Group
should achieve its objectives. The five codes are the Code of Safety, the Code of Conduct, the Code of
Innovation, the Code of Teamwork & Leadership, and the Code of Sustainability. The codes are supplemented
by a body of regulations and directives.
32
Management
Ou r Vi si o n
Vis io n
We develop intelligent solutions for sustainable growth.
C u sto m e rs
WACKER products
and solutions are
our customers’
first choice.
Em pl o ye e s
We want to be one
of the world’s best
employers.
Code of Safety
Code of Conduct
In n o va ti o n s
We tap new
markets via
product and
process
innovations for
tomorrow’s world.
C o m pa n y Va l u e
We continuously
increase our
company value.
Su sta i n a bi l i ty
Our responsibility
as a company
extends beyond
our business
activities.
Code of
Innovation
Code of Teamwork
& Leadership
Code of
Sustainability
Reg ula tions
Direc tiv es
C o d e o f C o n d u ct
The Code of Conduct contains our principles on interactions with business partners and third parties. It also
regulates how we deal with information, confidentiality and data security, protection against money laundering
and keeping private and company interests separate.
C o d e o f In n o va ti o n
The Code of Innovation specifies our principles as applicable to R&D, cooperation, patents and innovation
management.
C o d e o f Te a m w o rk & L e a d e rsh i p
The Code of Teamwork & Leadership outlines our understanding of collaboration and management. There is
special emphasis on trust and respect, motivation and success, recognition and development, teamwork and
equal opportunities, work-life balance and the role-model function of managers.
C o d e o f Sa fe ty
The Code of Safety defines our safety culture and sets safety regulations for workplaces, plants, products and
transport.
C o d e o f Su sta i n a bi l i ty
The Code of Sustainability details principles of sustainability with which R&D, procurement and logistics,
production and products, as well as our social commitment, must comply.
Voluntary Commitments
Two voluntary global initiatives form the basis for sustainable corporate management at WACKER: the
chemical industry’s Responsible Care ® initiative and the UN’s Global Compact. WACKER has been an active
member of the Responsible Care ® initiative since 1991. Program participants commit themselves to securing
continuous improvements to health, safety and environmental performance on a voluntary basis – irrespective
of legal requirements.
We attach equal importance to economic and social goals. This explains our strong focus on environmental
protection, plant process safety (for both employees and neighbors), occupational safety, and product safety (for
customers and end users).
33
Management
The UN’s Global Compact is another guideline for our actions. We joined the initiative in 2006. Member
companies commit to implementing the Global Compact’s ten principles, which are derived from the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles
and Rights at Work, and the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. We observe these principles in
dealing with social and environmental standards, anticorruption and the protection of human rights.
H u m a n R i g h ts
Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights
within their sphere of influence, and
Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.
L a bo r Sta n d a rd s
Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to
collective bargaining,
Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labor,
Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labor, and
Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
En vi ro n m e n ta l Pro te cti o n
Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges,
Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote environmental responsibility, and
Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.
An ti - C o rru pti o n
Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.
Organization
Management Structures for Sustainability
Wacker Chemie AG’s four-member Executive Board oversees the Group’s strategies, resources, infrastructure
and organizational structure. President and CEO Dr. Rudolf Staudigl heads the Board. Other members are Dr.
Joachim Rauhut and Auguste Willems, who is responsible for sustainability. Dr. Wilhelm Sittenthaler left the
company on December 31, 2012. The Supervisory Board of Wacker Chemie AG appointed Dr. Tobias Ohler to
the Executive Board, effective January 1, 2013.
An Executive Board Meeting is WACKER’s highest decision-making authority. Below the Executive Board,
there are various committees whose membership spans several organizational sectors and legal entities.
These committees ensure that corporate strategies are implemented groupwide.
34
Management
C o o rd i n a ti n g Su sta i n a bi l i ty a t WAC KER
C o m m i tte e s / Me e ti n g s w i th Spe ci fi c Exe cu ti ve Bo a rd Me m be rs
Meeting of Entire Executive Board
Corporate Strategy Committee
Corporate EHS1 Meeting
EHS Strategy Meeting
HR 2 Strategy Meeting
Group Innovation
Meeting
R&D 3 Projects
Conference
Supply Chain
Conference
D e pa rtm e n ts
1
2
3
4
Health Promotion
Steering Committee
Fu n cti o n s
Corporate Sustainability
Human Resources
Group Compliance
Officer
Regional Compliance
Officers
Corporate R&D
Executive Personnel
Group Coordinator for
the Environment
Health
Safety
Product Safety
Hazardous Goods
Export Controls
Legal Officers and
Representatives
Divisional Sustainability
Representatives
IMS4 Coordinators
Divisional R&D
Environment, Health, Safety
Human Res ources
Res earch & Development
Integrated Management Sys tem
The Corporate Strategy Committee (KUS), for example, deliberates on strategically important processes,
potential market or competitor developments, and key special topics not directly related to daily operations. The
committee comprises the entire Executive Board, business-division presidents and corporate-department
heads.
The main committees for environment, health, safety and product safety are the annual Corporate
Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Meetings and EHS Strategy Meetings, led by the Executive Board
member responsible for EHS & PS. Personnel policies are dealt with monthly by the HR Strategy Group while
employee health is addressed once a year by the Health Promotion Steering Committee – both are chaired by
WACKER’s personnel director. The Supply Chain Conference focuses on the Group’s productivity projects and
goals and is led by the Executive Board member responsible for Corporate Engineering. The Group Innovation
Meeting and the R&D Projects Conference cover innovation strategies and projects.
Once a year, environmental, health and safety officers meet for an international EHS & PS Conference. Here,
participants exchange experiences and discuss sustainability-related topics that apply groupwide. In 2012, we
hosted an international conference for HR managers. The main focus was on the challenges that the
internationalization of the company poses for HR. The next international HR meeting is scheduled for 2014.
Our company has been expanding globally for years. We acquire and set up new sites and expand existing
ones. We adjust our sustainability management activities accordingly. In 2011, we established an internal
Corporate Sustainability department. It guides the implementation of WACKER’s voluntary commitments under
Responsible Care ® and the Global Compact and coordinates our sustainability activities worldwide.
35
Management
Personnel Responsibility
Our compliance organization focuses on compliance with legal requirements and internal company
regulations. The Group compliance officer supervises and guides a network of regional compliance officers.
Responsibility for the key areas of environment, health and safety, export control, hazardous materials, and
product stewardship rests with the Group coordinators. In this capacity, they report directly to the WACKER
Executive Board, and define groupwide standards in the form of goals and processes. These standards are to
be followed by every corporate sector and site worldwide. Alongside the Group coordinators, WACKER has
legally mandated officers and representatives for managing specific areas, such as incidents, and severely
disabled staff.
Workplace and plant safety are of vital importance at WACKER. This is why, in 2012, we included safety goals
in the annual performance reviews for Executive Personnel and management employees in Germany. As
personal goals, their achievement is mandatory, especially for executives with responsibilities involving
hazardous situations. They also influence the final performance evaluation.
Management Systems
We control operational processes via our integrated management system (IMS). The system describes
workflows and responsibilities, and defines groupwide standards for quality, the environment, and health and
safety. It is based on customer demands, statutory regulations, our own sustainable business principles, and
national and international standards.
WACKER’s voluntary commitments regarding the Responsible Care ® and Global Compact initiatives exceed
legislative requirements. In the future, we intend to use the IMS to control additional sustainability-related topics
more closely, for instance the effective use of resources such as energy in our production processes. We have
our Group management system evaluated by an international certification organization in accordance with ISO
9001 (quality) and ISO 14001 (environmental protection) standards. At Siltronic, every site is certified to ISO/TS
16949 (quality), ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 (plant safety and occupational health and safety), due to this
subsidiary’s specific processes and customer requirements.
Our Group certification ensures that customer-driven specifications and our corporate standards are
implemented at all WACKER sites. In the period under review, we expanded our Group certification to include
the new polysilicon plant in Nünchritz and our Norwegian site in Holla (certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001) as
well as our sales regions (certified to ISO 9001). In addition, we had our Jena site certified to GMP (Good
Manufacturing Practice) and ISO 14001. Almost all our production sites are now included in the Group
certificate. Not yet included are the sites in Brazil and India, as well as Jincheon (South Korea), which have
corresponding individual certificates.
In the years ahead, we intend to add another international standard – OHSAS 18001 – to our Corporate
Management System. OHSAS describes requirements for processes and standards relating to occupational
health and safety and plant safety. WACKER intends to carry out internal audits as per this standard at all its
sites worldwide by 2015. Our Siltronic subsidiary and our Jincheon site already have an OHSAS certificate.
In 2012, WACKER obtained certification to the ISO 50001 energy management standard for its sites in
Germany for the first time. This stimulates further reductions in our energy consumption and costs.
As a representative of the entire Siltronic subsidiary, the Freiberg site underwent inspection in accordance with
Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) requirements in 2012. The EICC is similar to the UN’s Global
Compact initiative. The audit thus focused on labor-law issues, compliance with social and ethical values and
the implementation of environmental and health protection specifications. The auditors found no critical
deviations.
36
Management
During the reporting period, the following two Chinese WACKER companies passed their Clean Production
Audit: Wacker Chemicals Fumed Silica (Zhangjiagang) Co., Ltd., and Wacker Polymer Systems (Nanjing) Co.,
Ltd. The Environmental Protection Bureau and Economic & Information Commission certify corporate
environmental protection in the course of their audits, which assess, for example, savings in electricity, raw
materials, fresh water, and waste.
Controlled Documents and Controlling Instruments
WACKER revised the hierarchy of its management documents in 2011 and prepared a new policy for issuing
Group regulations. Twenty-one regulations now govern topics of overall significance for the company. They
concern management, organization and collaboration, law and compliance, strategy and business processes
as well as financing, controlling, accounting and taxes. Numerous other controlled documents regulate
processes for environmental and health protection, plant and workplace safety, and product safety, on a Group,
regional and site-specific level.
All our processes are designed to keep customers satisfied, meet our obligations to society, and to secure
WACKER’s competitiveness. Each of our sites achieves these goals in different ways. At Siltronic’s Portland
site (Oregon, USA), a very effective “Quality and Value Improvement System” uses a wide range of control
mechanisms – such as balanced scorecards, and systems for developing, prioritizing and tracking action
plans. So that employees can view action plans and success rates at any time, Portland publishes them in a
database and on a bulletin board.
We have developed an analytical tool that enables us to estimate, already in the R&D phase, the
environmental impact of new products. Launched in 2012, the environmental analysis performed with the
WACKER ® Eco Assessment Tool is gradually being established within the Group. It helps us to assess the
sustainability of our products and improve it accordingly.
In 2011, en route to a Corporate Carbon Footprint report, we conducted the first survey of our indirect
greenhouse gas emissions from bought-in energy (as per Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scope 2). In 2012, we
started determining our Scope 3 emissions. These include all emissions generated along the supply chain, e.g.
by suppliers or through waste disposal and the transportation of products. This Corporate Carbon Footprint
report is an important tool for improving climate protection.
We are in the process of standardizing our various IT systems for groupwide sustainability reporting.
Standardization includes not only the management of environmental metrics, energy data, and
environmentally relevant and safety-related events, but also audit planning and follow-up measures within the
integrated management system. In 2012, we defined software requirements and began implementing them.
Productivity Programs
To remain globally competitive, companies need to minimize their process costs. The Wacker Operating
System (WOS) was launched in 2004 to boost WACKER’s productivity along the entire supply chain. Our goal is
to continue to reduce specific operating costs every year. WOS results are regularly reported to the Executive
Board.
The period under review saw the implementation of more than 1,000 projects at our operating divisions and
corporate departments. Almost 350 of these related to cost savings in raw materials and energy.
Established by WACKER in 2009 to further cement WOS within the company, the WOS ACADEMY offers
training in productivity topics. Participants are given hands-on training in specific projects at the various plants
and are thus able to apply the methods immediately. The WOS ACADEMY instructors act as advisors during
these projects. In 2011 and 2012, the WOS ACADEMY trained some 200 employees in the application of new
productivity methods, such as Six Sigma.
37
Management
The Wacker Asahikasei Silicone (AWS) site in Akeno, Japan, and WACKER POLYMERS’ site in Ulsan, South
Korea, have introduced the TPM (Total Productivity Maintenance) program. Developed in Japan, TPM is a
production management concept aimed at increasing the effectiveness of production facilities and thus
enhancing productivity, quality, cost effectiveness and workplace safety. With the aid of TPM, we are
systematically improving plant utilization at WACKER’s other sites, too.
In 2012, Siltronic set itself a new goal: to significantly lower the variable costs (e.g. for raw materials, energy,
auxiliary materials and production staff) that arise in the production of 300 mm silicon wafers and crystal pulling
in Germany. Unlike other cost-reduction campaigns, the Continuous Cost Reduction Program (CCRP) does
not run for a limited term.
Idea Management
Id e a s Su bm i tte d by WAC KER Em pl o ye e s
In order to do things better and stay competitive, WACKER relies on the ideas submitted by its employees. 2012
saw more employee suggestions than ever before. In total, we received 8,982 suggestions (2011: 8,220) –
roughly 9.3 percent more than in the previous year. The participation rate (number of submitters per 100
employees) remained constant at 34 percent (2011: 34 percent). Our goal is still for every second employee to
contribute ideas. Total benefits fell to €6.4 million (2011: €9.4 million). One of the reasons for the decline was
that cost grounds prevented the measures from being implemented. In its annual idea management rankings
for 2012, the German Institute of Business Administration (“dib”) put WACKER in ninth place among
companies with more than 5,000 employees. That makes WACKER one of the most imaginative companies in
Germany.
Since 1975, WACKER employees have submitted around 114,000 improvement suggestions. Over half of
these – 62,000 suggestions – have been implemented, leading to company savings of €117 million.
Submitters have received a total of €26 million in bonuses.
To maximize the benefits from ideas, WACKER has interlinked the Employee Suggestion Program, the Wacker
Operating System (WOS) and Innovation Management.
Id e a Ma n a g e m e n t
2012
Number of improvement suggestions
Total benefits (€ million)
Participation rate 1 (%)
1
2011
2010
8 ,9 8 2
8 ,2 2 0
7,702
6 .4
9 .4
11.9
34
34
33
Submitters per 100 employees
38
Management
Pl e a sa n t C l i m a te fo r Sa vi n g En e rg y
Savings potential can often be found where it is least expected.
One example of a hidden energy guzzler is the supply of
conditioned air. “To air-condition our rooms, we must first cool
and dehumidify the air before regulating its temperature and
moisture content as required,” says Georg Stemmer, energy
coordinator at Siltronic. All this costs energy – and not too little,
either. At Siltronic’s Burghausen site alone, there are more
than 500 air-conditioning systems, which are responsible for
over 25 percent of the site’s overall electricity consumption.
Fortunately, there are employees who walk through their
workplace with open eyes. One such employee noticed that a
disused etching facility was still being supplied with fresh air
and that the exhaust air was still being extracted. This much
ventilation is not necessary for a facility that is no longer in
service, which is why the air flow has now been restricted with
flaps. Cost savings: a five-digit sum every year.
The air conditioning of work areas has savings potential, too. Instead of maintaining the exact same
temperature and atmospheric humidity at Burghausen’s multi-wire sawing facility throughout the year, the
employees had an idea: increase the temperature by one degree Celsius at higher humidity in the summer
and decrease it by one degree at lower humidity in the winter. The difference is hardly noticeable for the
employees, but clearly visible on Siltronic’s electricity bill. This reduced heating and cooling effort also leads to
savings of a five-digit sum every year.
Compliance
WACKER’s ethical principles of corporate management exceed legal requirements. They are summarized in
our Code of Conduct, which all WACKER employees are required to adhere to. There are separate and/or
supplemental guidelines for individual corporate sites (e.g. WACKER Greater China’s Employee Handbook).
The Group’s US subsidiaries have their own compliance programs tailored specifically to US law.
WACKER does not tolerate violations of its Code of Conduct or of any legal requirements. Any employee who
has questions about appropriate behavior at work can receive counsel from supervisors, employee
representatives and 22 compliance officers worldwide. Alongside the existing compliance officers, additional
ones were appointed and trained in Mexico, the United Arab Emirates and Asia in the period under review. The
Group compliance officer reports to WACKER’s president & CEO.
39
Management
C o m pl i a n ce Offi ce rs a t WAC KER
Location
Company
G e rm a n y a n d Eu ro pe
Munich (Germany and countries not expressly
mentioned): Coordination and Management, Group
Compliance Management
Wacker Chemie AG
Stetten, Germany
Wacker Chemie AG
Holla, Norway
Wacker Chemicals Norway AS
Th e Am e ri ca s
Adrian (Michigan, USA)
Wacker Chemical Corp.
Portland (Oregon, USA)
Siltronic Corp.
São Paulo, Brazil
Wacker Química do Brasil Ltda.
Mexico City, Mexico
Wacker Mexicana S.A. de C.V.
Asi a
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Wacker Chemicals Middle East FZE
Kolkata, India
Wacker Metroark Chemicals Pvt. Ltd.
Mumbai, India
Wacker Chemie India Ltd.
Shanghai, China
Wacker Chemicals China Company Ltd. (Holding)
Shunde, China
Wacker Dymatic (Shunde) Company Ltd.
Nanjing, China
Wacker Polymer Systems (Nanjing) Company Ltd.
Wuxi, China
Wacker Polymer Systems (Wuxi) Company Ltd.
Zhangjiagang, China
Wacker Chemicals (Zhangjiagang) Company Ltd.
Tokyo, Japan
Wacker Asahi Kasei Silicone
Tokyo, Japan
Siltronic Japan Corporation
Seoul, South Korea
Wacker Chemicals Korea Inc.
Singapore, Singapore
Siltronic Singapore Pte. Ltd.
Siltronic Samsung Wafer Pte. Ltd.
Wacker Chemicals South Asia Ltd.
Employees are instructed to inform their supervisors, the compliance officers, the employee council or their
designated HR contacts of any violations they notice. WACKER follows up every justified suspicion. WACKER
Greater China has a compliance hotline that enables employees and business partners to report any breaches
anonymously. Furthermore, every year, employees in the region must sign a declaration regarding proper
conduct.
Employees who have regular business contacts must complete a mandatory online course on compliance.
Enforced throughout the Group, the course also covers antitrust law. All WACKER sales and marketing
employees must additionally undergo an online training on European antitrust law (WACKER Antitrust
Program) and receive detailed instruction in antitrust law at classroom seminars. In addition to online training,
employees have the opportunity to attend courses on the subject during divisional and regional meetings and
international sales conferences. US staff receive antitrust law training tailored to the market there. In Germany,
online training on data protection complements the compliance courses.
WACKER’s compliance programs are designed to prevent misconduct, minimize the repercussions of
misconduct, and – in accordance with the UN’s Global Compact – identify any cases of corruption or other
legal infringements. To promote compliance, we use such organizational methods as the separation of
responsibility and our dual-control policy. Separation of responsibility makes it impossible for any one employee
to single-handedly carry out transactions involving payments. The purchasing unit is thus quite distinct from the
ordering unit. Dual control ensures that every critical transaction is checked by a second person.
40
Management
One focus of our compliance management in 2011 was on non-German sites. More overseas employees
were included in both online and classroom-based compliance training. In 2012, Compliance Management
focused on devising and implementing globally applicable measures (in response to the UK Bribery Act 2010,
for example) in consultation with international sites to ensure compliance with local requirements.
Our internal Corporate Auditing department systematically checks the effectiveness of WACKER’s control
system. Supported by the auditing manual, this department – on behalf of the Executive Board – regularly
audits all corporate entities. In consultation with the Executive Board, the department adopts a risk-driven
approach to choosing audit topics and sets an annual schedule. If necessary, the schedule is flexibly adjusted
during the year to take account of changes in underlying conditions. Its auditors look particularly frequently at
processes and areas with a high exposure to corruption or to legal non-compliance. Criteria for the risk
assessment include:
Country classified as having a high risk of corruption
High possible risk of damage (financial or reputation-related)
Compliance issue (suspected cases)
Previous audit revealed substantial need for action
Legal obligation to have regular audits
For capital-intensive engineering activities (e.g. project engineering and maintenance), we employ specially
qualified industrial personnel as auditors.
In 2011 and 2012, WACKER focused on the following topics:
Plant safety
Accounting processes
The settlement of investment projects and external maintenance work
Obligation by external planners to observe confidentiality whenever they handle WACKER data
Corporate Auditing conducted a total of 32 audits in 2012 and a total of 37 in 2011. 21 of these audits dealt with
the inspection of our subsidiaries’ business processes (covering all manner of job functions). The 2012 audit
plan was, on the whole, implemented, with nine topics or items for review to be completed in the course of
2013. No major complaints came to light. We are implementing and systematically following up any comments
and suggested measures from the audits, for example for improved workflows.
WACKER’s corporate culture is characterized by mutual respect and trust. However, inappropriate behavior on
the part of individual employees can never be eliminated. In these cases, we rely on our internal risk
assessments.
41
Management
C o m pl i a n ce C a se s
2012
2011
2010
1
Level of key fines and number of non-monetary penalties
for non-compliance with requirements of environmental
legislation
–
–
–
Number of organizational units subjected to
corruption audit
32
37
37
Legal entities subjected to corruption audit (%)
27
32
30
Employees2 trained in corruption prevention (%)
50
50
51
18
16
9
7
4
3
Number of complaints about anticompetitive behavior,
violation of antitrust or monopolies legislation
1
–
–
Level of key fines1 and number of non-monetary penalties
for breaches of legal requirements
–
–
–
Level of key fines1 for breaches of legal requirements
relating to the supply and use of products and services
–
–
–
3
Measures taken in response to violation of laws,
codes and standards
Written warnings
Termination of employment contract
1
Level of key fines : s tarting at €10,000
Employees who have contact with external bus ines s partners receive training every two years . That’s around 50
percent of all WACKER employees .
3
WACKER Germany only
2
According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), WACKER is predominantly
active in countries that have a low or very low risk of corruption.
Sa l e s Sh a re s a s a Fu n cti o n o f C o rru pti o n R i sk a s pe r Tra n spa re n cy In te rn a ti o n a l 1
1
Trans parency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) ranks countries according to the level of corruption
perceived in the public s ector. The categories in this graph were compiled independently.
Customer and Supplier Management
WACKER strives to provide products and services that benefit its customers. Satisfied customers are the basis
of our success. To steadily increase their satisfaction, we are in constant dialogue with not only customers, but
also suppliers and logistics providers.
WACKER introduced “SMART” – a new customer management system – in 2011, initially for its three
chemical divisions (WACKER SILICONES, WACKER POLYMERS and WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS). WACKER
POLYSILICON followed in 2012. This highly integrated system allows customer data to be recorded,
documented and combined from all SAP modules. The decisive advantage of “SMART” is that we have the
same information each time we contact a customer, which improves customer service and support. A total of
1,600 employees from the Sales, Customer Service, Marketing and Technical Support units received training in
the new system. The system supports Sales, for example, with correspondence and with complaints
evaluation/processing. Every complaint is entered into SMART and systematically tracked until our final reply
42
Management
has been sent to the customer. Standardized measures, some of which are initiated automatically, ensure that
the affected customer and associated team are always kept up to date on the order-processing status. The
root-cause identification procedure initiated by SMART helps us to enhance our processes, and stops errors
from recurring.
WACKER offers existing and prospective customers a further service: the WACKER Infoline. Specialists provide
advice on products and related applications by phone or email. If someone asks a question, they get initial
feedback within eight hours and a detailed answer within 48 hours.
We regularly solicit feedback from our customers about the quality of our products and services. WACKER
POLYSILICON, for example, conducts annual customer surveys. The Siltronic business division analyzes the
supplier evaluations which its major customers conduct each year. The surveys and comparative analyses
have repeatedly confirmed WACKER’s excellent reputation over the years.
Our supplier management team is another area that focuses on sustainability. Our suppliers number 9,900
(8,800 in the Technical Procurement & Logistics department and 1,100 in Raw Materials Procurement). Over
80 percent of our suppliers are headquartered in a member state of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The OECD has 34 member countries that are dedicated to the economic
and social wellbeing of people around the world. We expect our suppliers to observe the principles of the UN’s
Global Compact and the Responsible Care ® initiative. This is part of our general terms of procurement. If we
discern violations of these principles during the course of our collaboration, we discuss our observations with
the supplier in question and demand improvements.
We expect our suppliers to have a management system that meets the requirements of ISO 9001 (quality) or
comparable specifications such as GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice). Furthermore, we require our industrial
suppliers to be certified to ISO 14001 (environmental protection). Our complaints management system enables
us to improve processes at short notice. Our key suppliers’ performance is entered into an evaluation which we
discuss with them collaboratively. WACKER honors the best suppliers and shippers at the annual Supplier and
Logistics Days held by Technical Procurement & Logistics (MW).
Systematic review of supplier risks is an important tool at WACKER for correctly evaluating our supplier
relationships and adapting our procurement strategies accordingly. Key criteria, whose examination depends
on the specific procurement segment, include quality, risk in the event of non-delivery, availability and
dependency, intellectual property protection and a supplier’s financial stability. We assessed around 500
suppliers each in 2011 and 2012.
For many years now, WACKER’s Siltronic subsidiary has been deploying its own risk management system for
suppliers as a way of securing deliveries and services in the long term. Suppliers are assessed by criteria such
as quality, delivery reliability and solvency. The system then categorizes them by risk. Where the risk to criteria
fulfillment is acute, countermeasures are promptly taken.
Dialogue with Stakeholders
Companies must have the consent and support of society. We want to maintain regular and open dialogue with
all stakeholders. This is one of our business principles. We believe that dialogue offers us an opportunity to
prepare for new challenges promptly, avoid risks and realize our full potential.
WACKER constantly communicates with a number of stakeholder groups throughout the world: employees,
customers, suppliers, analysts, investors, journalists, scientists, neighbors and politicians, as well as
representatives from NGOs, authorities and associations. We use a monitoring and analysis tool to identify our
principal stakeholders and their expectations. Stakeholder dialogue is conducted in many ways – through the
outreach activities of WACKER’s various management levels, sites and departments. The focus is always on
face-to-face discussions, i.e. on direct contact. What’s more, we communicate with stakeholders through
publications (annual report, press releases, employee newspaper, etc.), special events (open-house days,
supplier days, investor roadshows, etc), tradeshows, committee work and presentations. In 2011 and 2012,
WACKER participated in the sustainability assessments
of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and
RobecoSAM. In addition, the Sustainalytics and oekom research agencies analyzed WACKER.
43
Management
In 2012, we quizzed our stakeholders about WACKER’s sustainability efforts and its reputation. A total of 201
individuals with links to our company filled out online questionnaires. The survey was conducted in Germany,
China and the USA. It included analysts, customers, suppliers, employees and politicians, as well as
representatives from authorities and NGOs. Its outcome showed that WACKER enjoys a very good reputation
among the various stakeholder groups. We scored a high figure of 82 points in the reputation stakes – this
compares with the average score for industrial companies and service providers of just 56 points. WACKER’s
good reputation stems primarily from the high level of trust which is placed in the company.
R e pu ta ti o n D ri ve rs fo r WAC KER
5 is the maximum value
The aim of the sustainability survey was to find out how these interest groups viewed our commitment to
sustainability and where they saw room for improvement. The evaluation of the online questionnaires revealed
that our sustainability efforts are viewed slightly more favorably than in 2010.
Opi n i o n o f Su sta i n a bi l i ty Pe rfo rm a n ce
Convers ion of 2008 res ults from s cale of 10 to s cale of 5; 1 = poor to 5 = excellent
1 201 participants in 2012
Stakeholders ranked WACKER highly to very highly in the following areas: safety of production facilities,
reduction of waste volumes and proper disposal, promotion of workplace safety and employee health, as well
as product and transport safety. They named the following as future challenges: setting of climate protection
goals, sustainable working conditions within the supply chain and environmental protection within the supply
chain, sparing use of water resources and biodiversity.
44
Management
Acti o n Ma tri x
A key challenge raised in the 2010 stakeholder survey was the setting of climate protection goals. We
intensified our work on this topic in the period under review. In 2011, we therefore conducted the first survey of
our indirect greenhouse gas emissions from procured energy (as per Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scope 2). In
2012, we started to determine our indirect greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with Greenhouse Gas
Protocol Scope 3. This covers all emissions generated along the entire supply chain. Due to WACKER’s
integrated production setup, it will take some time to attribute energy consumption and carbon dioxide
emissions to individual products. From 2013 on, WACKER is defining groupwide energy targets for the first
time. All of these measures will help us promote climate protection within the company.
In the Imageprofile 2012 reputation survey conducted by the Humboldt University of Berlin on behalf of German
business monthly manager magazin, WACKER came second in the Basic Materials category. More than 4,000
first and second level managers were polled in the survey. Assessment criteria included: managerial quality,
sound finances, innovative strength, customer focus and sustainability.
45
Management
Awards and Prizes
WACKER has supplied customers with high-quality products and outstanding services for many years.
Customer satisfaction is the cornerstone of our success and is reflected in the customer awards we have
received.
Q u a l i ty Aw a rd s 2 0 1 1
Award
Recipient
Sponsor
Preferred Quality Supplier (PQS) Award 2010
World Class Supplier 2011 “Spot Light Award”
Siltronic
Siltronic Corp.
Intel
Spansion
Quality Assurance Certificate
Best Cooperation Partner Award 2011
Siltronic AG
Panasonic
WACKER Greater China Procter & Gamble
Award of Excellence 2011
SILMIX®
3M
Award
Recipient
Sponsor
Supplier Continuous Quality Improvement Award 2011
Superior Supplier Award
Siltronic AG
Siltronic AG
Intel
Episil
IRC Supplier Award
IRC
Award of Excellence 2012
Siltronic Singapore
Pte. Ltd.
SILMIX®
Supplier Recognition Award 2012
Wacker Chemie AG
Procter & Gamble
Colombia
Q u a l i ty Aw a rd s 2 0 1 2
3M
46
Environmental
Protection
We attach particular importance to integrated environmental protection. Our strength lies in our system of integrated
production, which entails the deployment of byproducts
and auxiliary materials from one production process in
other processes. This approach enables us to lower our
consumption of both energy and resources.
Environment al Prot ect ion
E n v iro n m e n ta l P ro te c tio n
All WACKER’s processes focus on the need to protect the environment and to manufacture safely. We attach
particular importance to integrated environmental protection. This commences with product development and
plant planning. In accordance with the core ideas of the Responsible Care ® initiative, our environmental
protection measures often go beyond what is legally required. WACKER continuously works on improving its
production processes to conserve resources. One of our main tasks is to close material cycles and recycle
byproducts from other areas back into production, enabling us to prevent or reduce emissions and waste.
Environmental Protection Costs
In 2012, WACKER invested €8.6 million in environmental protection (2011: €7.9 million). Environmental
operating costs amounted to €79.3 million (2011: €73.3 million). An example of investment in environmental
protection is Siltronic’s Freiberg site, which redesigned the cooling circuit of its silicon-ingot pulling facilities in
2012 to save energy.
En vi ro n m e n ta l Pro te cti o n C o sts
€ million
Operating costs
2012
2011
2010
7 9 .3
7 3 .3
65
8 .6
7 .9
12
Water pollution control
2 .4
5 .0
8.1
Waste management
0 .6
0 .8
2.5
Air pollution control
5 .3
1 .6
0.8
Climate protection
0 .2
0 .2
0.4
Soil remediation
0 .1
0 .1
0.2
–
0 .2
–
Investments
In ve stm e n ts i n En vi ro n m e n ta l Pro te cti o n
Nature conservation and landscape management
Environmental Protection in Production
Environmental Performance Assessment
Since 2004, WACKER has been using a system to assess its sites’ environmental performance. We use it to
convert a site’s total emissions and energy consumption into environmental units. These units also include
water consumption and waste.
Taking both absolute quantities and so-called weighting factors into consideration, the assessment takes
account of four criteria:
Environmental impact
Safety of treatment/disposal
Requirements imposed by environmental legislation and corporate policy
Public acceptance
Energy consumption (power/heat consumption) is thus very important to WACKER due to public awareness of
the significance of greenhouse gases and international climate-protection agreements.
Since we acquired the Holla silicon-metal plant in Norway in 2010, we record the environmental units for our
chemical and metallurgical production sites separately. One reason for this is that Holla’s emissions are
different to those of chemical production plants, for example for sulfur oxides (SOx).
48
Emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases are largely energy-related at WACKER. The
number of environmental units remained virtually unchanged. Nevertheless, we made advances in 2011/2012
based on production volumes.
En vi ro n m e n ta l U n i ts fo r C h e m i ca l Pro d u cti o n Si te s 1
2012
2011
2010
Environmental units
7 4 ,5 5 1
7 5 ,6 8 3
75,563
Gross production volume in 1,000 metric tons
1 3 ,0 8 3
1 2 ,6 2 8
12,100
5 .7
6 .0
6.2
2012
2011
2010
Environmental units per 1,000 metric tons
of gross production
1
Excluding the s ilicon-metal production facility in Holla, Norway
En vi ro n m e n ta l U n i ts fo r Me ta l l u rg i ca l Pro d u cti o n 1
Environmental units
Gross production volume in 1,000 metric tons
Environmental units per 1,000 metric tons
of gross production
1
5 4 ,2 1 9
5 5 ,5 7 1
54,005
81
83
73
6 6 9 .8
6 6 9 .9
738.5
Silicon-metal production facility in Holla, Norway
Integrated Production
WACKER’s integrated production system is its greatest strength. The WACKER Group’s key competitive
advantages include the highly integrated material loops at its major production sites in Burghausen, Nünchritz
and Zhangjiagang. Basically, integrated production involves using the byproducts from one stage as starting
materials for making other products. The necessary auxiliaries, such as silanes, are recycled in a closed loop
and we utilize waste heat from one process in other chemical processes. The result is lower specific production
costs (costs per net production volume) compared to open production processes. Integrated production allows
us to lower energy and resource consumption, use raw materials more efficiently and, at the same time,
integrate environmental protection measures into production processes. Through our integrated production
sites, we create synergies in the supply of raw materials and energy.
Our integrated production system is primarily based on salt, silicon and ethylene as starting materials. In our
integrated processes, we optimize material efficiency by purifying byproducts and reusing them or making them
available for external use. Examples:
In our integrated ethylene production system, we use ethylene to obtain organic intermediates, which we
then turn into polymer dispersions and dispersible polymer powders.
Our integrated silicon production system operates along similar lines. Although comprising only a small
number of raw materials – silicon, methanol and salt (sodium chloride) – this system enables us to
manufacture over 2,800 different silicone products, as well as pyrogenic silica and polysilicon.
A further focus of our integrated production is to minimize hydrogen chloride consumption. Hydrogen chloride
is an essential auxiliary deployed in the production of reactive intermediates from energy-poor natural
materials. We then use these intermediates to make our end products. Hydrogen chloride production requires
a lot of energy. In our integrated material loop, we recover both hydrogen chloride and some of the energy in
the form of heating steam during the conversion of the chlorine-containing intermediates to chlorine-free end
products (such as hyperpure silicon or pyrogenic silica). We then return the recovered hydrogen chloride to the
production loop and reuse it. This closed material loop reduces emissions and, due to lower raw-material
consumption, shipment journeys.
49
For over 12 years, we have been using a chlor-alkali membrane process to supply chlorine, hydrogen, caustic
soda and hydrogen chloride as starting materials to our Burghausen site. Since 2000, this membrane
electrolysis has enabled us to stop using mercury-based chlorine electrolysis and simultaneously cut energy
consumption by around 25 percent per year. Thus, WACKER has fulfilled the chemical industry’s voluntary
commitment to phase out mercury-based processes by 2020 well ahead of schedule.
Ma te ri a l Fl o w s i n WAC KER ’ s In te g ra te d H yd ro g e n C h l o ri d e (H C l ) Syste m
Examples of savings potential for resources through our integrated production system:
We recycle 97 percent of the hydrogen chloride that we use in the production loops at our Burghausen and
Nünchritz sites.
In 2012, our integrated production system in Burghausen prevented the emission of 742,000 metric tons of
CO2 equivalents. Due to this high reutilization rate, less fresh hydrogen chloride needs to be generated and,
consequently, there are savings in the transportation of raw materials and in energy consumption.
44 percent of the heat used by Burghausen stems from the site’s integrated heat-utilization system.
We optimized the hydrogen loops in our integrated polysilicon production system and thus significantly lowered
the consumption of hydrogen extracted from natural gas. This has led to a reduction in carbon dioxide
emissions of 22,000 metric tons per year compared to 2010.
Zhangjiagang in China joins our German plants in Burghausen (Bavaria) and Nünchritz (Saxony) as our third
major integrated production site. We rely on state-of-the-art environmental technology in China, too, where we
operate facilities according to stringent international EH&S standards.
50
In te g ra te d Pro d u cti o n Syste m i n C h i n a
In partnership with Dow Corning Corporation, we opened the
second phase of our joint pyrogenic silica plant in
Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu province, China, in 2011. This plant,
together with a siloxane facility, forms the heart of the
integrated silicone production site developed by WACKER and
Dow Corning.
In our state-of-the-art manufacturing processes, we use raw
materials efficiently and attempt to procure them locally to the
greatest possible degree. When building these plants, we took
account of energy-saving design and cutting-edge
environmental-protection technology. Integrated production
plays an important role in helping to reduce emissions and to
manage logistics and transportation efficiently.
Work on the integrated production site in
Z hangjiagang complies with global
environmental, health & safety (EHS)
standards.
Energy
En e rg y Ta rg e ts: L o w e ri n g Spe ci fi c En e rg y C o n su m pti o n by 2 0 2 2
The chemical industry is an extremely energy-intensive sector. In Germany alone, it uses around 20 percent of
all the power consumed by industry. WACKER, too, is therefore constantly improving the energy efficiency of its
processes. This enables us to remain competitive in the world market, while contributing to climate protection.
Many chemical reactions generate heat that can be put to use in other production processes. We have been
using integrated heat-recovery systems in Burghausen and Nünchritz for years and are continually improving
them. In this way, we can reduce the amount of primary energy (normally natural gas) that our power plants
consume.
To further improve energy efficiency and lower specific energy consumption (amount of energy per net
production volume), the Executive Board has defined energy targets for WACKER Germany. We already cut
specific energy consumption by 22 percent between 2007 and 2012. A further reduction of 11 percent between
2013 and 2022 is now the target. Overall, by 2022, we will have brought our specific energy consumption down
by one-third.
These energy goals also ensure we meet a requirement for ISO 50001 Group certification. We certified the
energy management system for WACKER Germany to this standard in 2012.
51
Sa vi n g En e rg y w i th POWER PL U S
We have been pushing ahead measures to increase productivity and lower energy consumption since 2007
through our POWER PLUS energy efficiency program. In this program, our energy analysts scrutinize our
production plants. At the same time, our employees are encouraged to make energy-saving suggestions.
With regard to energy-saving ideas, Idea Management
supports POWER PLUS: improvement suggestions submitted
in the “Energy/Utilities” category, which was added in 2011,
are not only sent to the reviewing experts via the intranet, but
are also automatically forwarded to Energy Management.
When this measure was first introduced in 2011, only 50 of
the 8,220 submitted ideas were energy-related. The initiative
bore fruit as early as 2012: of the 8,982 submitted ideas, 411
suggestions (5 percent) were entered in the
“Energy/Utilities” category. Information provided by the
“Energy Management” online training course contributed to
this increase. The (German-language) training course can
be accessed via the intranet and has been mandatory for
employees in Germany since 2012.
The mandatory “Energy Management” training
course (German-language only) gives
employees tips on saving energy in production
and in the office. In addition, employees learn
the basics of energy management.
One new tool used by our energy managers is the “energy
cascade,” in which computer simulations are used to compare the current energy consumption of production
plants with the theoretical optimum, and to identify the sources of energy losses. In 2012, it was used to
determine potential electricity and heat savings for three plants at WACKER’s Burghausen site.
En e rg y C a sca d e
TOP = Theoretical Optimum Proces s
POP = Practical Optimum Proces s
IOP = Identified Optimum Proces s
AP = Actual Proces s
E = Explainable
U = Unknown
M = Meas ure
52
G e n e ra ti n g En e rg y Effi ci e n tl y
Burghausen uses hydroelectric power to generate electricity. Our Norwegian site, Holla, too, generates its
electricity from water power. Our primary source of energy, though, is climate-friendly natural gas. At
WACKER’s large Burghausen and Nünchritz sites, we produce steam and electricity in cogeneration systems.
These combined heat and power (CHP) plants have more than 80-percent fuel efficiency, which is significantly
higher than that of conventional plants, where electricity and heat are generated separately.
H yd ro e l e ctri c Po w e r
The Burghausen site has been supplied with electricity from
Wacker Chemie AG’s “Alzwerke” hydroelectric facility for over
90 years. From December 1922 to December 2012, this power
station generated 22,132 GWh of electricity.
The Alz canal between Hirten on the Alz River and
Burghausen on the Salzach River made it possible to harness
the water – which plunges 63 meters into the turbines – for a
hydroelectric power plant on the banks of the Salzach. The
electricity generated by the Alzwerke plant was the key
prerequisite for the chemical industry to settle in Burghausen.
Over the past nine decades, the hydroelectric facility has
continuously increased its energy yield and availability over 24
hours.
The Alz werke power station has been
supplying the Burghausen site with
hydroelectric power since 1922.
In 2012, our Nünchritz site required around 86 percent less process steam from its CHP plant to manufacture
one metric ton of product than it did in 1999, when WACKER acquired the site. We converted our Nünchritz
power plant from heavy fuel oil to more ecologically sound natural gas in 2006.
Sa vi n g En e rg y w i th WOS
In 2012, we improved the energy efficiency of our Burghausen power plant with the help of a project that forms
part of our WOS (Wacker Operating System) program. Following a thermal study, we re-insulated a steam
boiler. This saves around 540 MWh heating steam a year. We also insulated those external parts of the power
plant which the study had identified as weak points for energy loss. This allows us to use hot water more
efficiently, equivalent to 200 MWh of energy saved per year.
The following are further examples of WOS projects with
which we increased energy efficiency during the period
under review:
WACKER SILICONES hooked up a pair of distillation
columns to form a heat-recovery system in Burghausen,
which saves us around 80,000 metric tons steam per
year.
By raising the efficiency of WACKER POLYSILICON’s
trichlorosilane production in Burghausen, we save over 20
MWh electricity per year.
During the period under review, WACKER POLYSILICON
enhanced its poly deposition process in Burghausen. This
allows us to save almost 30 MWh electrical power per
year.
We have improved the energy efficiency of
Burghausen’s CCGT (combined-cycle gas
turbine) power plant with new thermal insulation.
En e rg y C o n su m pti o n
In 2011, WACKER’s electricity consumption rose to 4.4 million MWh (2010: 3.8 million MWh). This was caused
by the high capacity utilization of our production operations and the launch of polysilicon production at
Nünchritz. In addition, a full year’s consumption of our silicon-metal production plant in Holla, Norway, which
was acquired in June 2010, was included for the first time in 2011.
53
This rise in demand continued in 2012, when WACKER increased its electricity consumption further, to 4.6
million MWh. This was due to higher polysilicon production. The Group’s power plants – the hydroelectric and
CHP (gas and steam turbine) generating stations in Burghausen and the CHP in Nünchritz – produced around
1.6 million MWh in 2012 (2011: 1.5 million MWh). This means that WACKER covered about a third of its total
electricity needs itself. Groupwide, carbon dioxide emissions – of which around 60 percent in 2012 (2011: 64
percent) result from captive power plants that are subject to emissions trading rules – totaled about 1.3 million
metric tons in the period under review.
In 2012, WACKER’s German production sites accounted for 76 percent of its electricity needs (2011: 73
percent). In Germany, we purchased enough electricity from utilities to cover 55 percent of our electricity
requirements there (2011: 53 percent). In line with the utilities’ primary energy sources, 60 percent of this
electricity was generated from fossil fuels (2011: 58 percent). 24 percent came from nuclear energy (2011: 20
percent) and 16 percent from renewable energy sources (2011: 22 percent). Heat consumption, which includes
the use of solid fossil and biogenic fuels (coal, charcoal and wood) in silicon-metal production at Holla,
Norway, fell slightly to 3.8 TWh (2011: 3.9 TWh).
En e rg y C o n su m pti o n
TWh
Electricity consumption
Heat consumption
1
Pri m a ry e n e rg y
2012
2011
2010
4 .6
4 .4
3.8
3 .8
3 .9
3.4
7 .0
6 .9
6.11
5 .9
5 .8
5.5
0 .9
0 .9
0.4
0 .2
0 .2
0.2
0 .0 2
0 .0 2
0.01
Of w h i ch
Natural gas
2
Solid fuels (coal, charcoal and wood)
Heat (supplied by third parties)
3
Fuel oil
1
Since 2010, heat cons umption figures have re ected the us e of s olid fos s il and biogenic fuels (coal, charcoal and wood)
at the s ilicon-metal plant in Holla, Norway.
Us ed as a reducing agent at the s ilicon-metal plant in Holla, Norway
3
Steam, dis trict heating
2
El e ctri ci ty Su ppl y fo r th e WAC KER G ro u p i n 2 0 1 2
1
2
3
4
5
Burghaus en and Nünchritz
Burghaus en
Coal, lignite, oil and gas
Hydro, wind and s olar power
Outs ide Germany, we purchas e electricity from third parties bas ed on the s tandard local energy mix
54
Air
The Group’s Corporate Carbon Footprint report is an important tool for improving climate protection. After
determining our indirect greenhouse gas emissions from bought-in energy (as per Greenhouse Gas Protocol
Scope 2) for the first time in 2011, we have also been measuring our Scope 3 emissions since 2012. These
include all emissions generated along the supply chain, e.g. by suppliers or through waste disposal and the
transportation of products.
We have forwarded these emissions data to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), which WACKER joined in
2007. Founded in London in 2000, CDP is a not-for-profit organization working to achieve greater transparency
in greenhouse gas emissions.
WACKER is subject to European emissions trading at its Burghausen and Nünchritz CHP plants. The
necessary emissions certificates were allotted to us free of charge for the 2008 – 2012 trading period. So far,
WACKER has not been adversely affected by emissions trading.
In 2011, WACKER emitted 1,341,107 metric tons of carbon dioxide groupwide and 1,294,424 metric tons in
2012. Carbon dioxide makes up 98.5 percent of WACKER’s direct greenhouse gas emissions. The remaining
1.5 percent is made up of nitrous oxide, methane, fluorocarbons and other greenhouse gases. The rise in
2011’s emissions can be explained by increased capacity utilization as a result of the economic upturn.
Em i ssi o n s to Ai r
20121
t
20111
20102
C O 2 ca rbo n d i o xi d e
Direct3 (t CO2)
1 ,2 9 4 ,4 2 4
1 ,3 4 1 ,1 0 7
985,694
1 ,1 5 0 ,0 7 1
1 ,0 8 6 ,1 9 2
–
N 2O nitrous oxide
3 3 .8
3 6 .6
25
CH 4 methane
2 1 .6
1 9 .2
10
5 .2
3 .5
5
PFC perfluorocarbons
0 .0 5 9
0 .0 5 9
0.067
SF6 sulfur hexafluoride
0 .0 1 1
0 .0 0 3
0.0008
4
Indirect (t CO2)
Oth e r G re e n h o u se G a se s
HFC hydrofluorocarbons
1
Including the s ilicon-metal plant in Holla, Norway
3
As per Greenhous e Gas Protocol “A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard,” Scope 1: direct emis s ions without
emis s ions from cons umption of purchas ed energy, CO2 only
4
As per Greenhous e Gas Protocol “A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard,” Scope 2: indirect emis s ions from
cons umption of purchas ed energy (electricity, heat), CO2 only; s urveyed for the firs t time in 2011; recalculation of 2011
values bas ed on the modified emis s ion factors publis hed by the International Energy Agency (IEA), in which a
dis tinction is made between the emis s ion factors for electricity and heat (Source: “CO2 emis s ions from fuel combus tion,
2012 edition”)
2
55
D i re ct G re e n h o u se G a s Em i ssi o n s
t CO 2e 1
CO2 carbon dioxide
N 2O nitrous oxide
20123
CO 2
equivalent2
1 1 ,2 9 4 ,4 2 4
20113
20104
1 ,3 4 1 ,1 0 7
985,694
298
1 0 ,0 7 2
1 0 ,9 0 1
7,454
25
539
481
256
HFC hydrofluorocarbons
1,430
7 ,4 4 2
5 ,0 4 6
7,164
PFC perfluorocarbons
9,800
577
577
596
SF6 sulfur hexafluoride
22,800
259
73
18
CH 4 methane
1
CO2e = metric tons of CO2 equivalents , as per Greenhous e Gas Protocol Scope 1 (direct emis s ions excluding indirect
emis s ions from cons umption of purchas ed energy)
2
The GWP (Global Warming Potential) is a meas ure of how much a gas contributes to the greenhous e effect compared
with CO2. For example, the CO2 equivalent for methane over 100 years is 25 (according to IPCC Fourth As s es s ment
Report 2007). This means that emis s ions from 1 kg of methane are 25 times more harmful than from 1 kg of carbon
dioxide.
3
4
Our indirect greenhouse gas emissions from procured energy (as per Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scope 2) rose
by 5.9 percent in 2012. The main reason is production-capacity expansion for polysilicon, which entailed the
commissioning of new facilities at the Nünchritz site.
Em i ssi o n s o f Ai r Po l l u ta n ts
20121
t
NOx nitrogen oxides
20111
20102
2 ,2 2 5
2 ,2 2 1
926
NMVOC non-methane volatile organic compounds
418
396
415
CO carbon monoxide
350
370
133
Dust
600
620
48
Particulate matter
500
510
27
1
2
The rise in nitrogen oxide emissions was due to the integration of the Holla site, the start-up of polysilicon
facilities in Nünchritz, and a further rise in emissions at Burghausen following a maintenance-related
shutdown of the gas turbine in 2010.
We used measurements and calculations at Burghausen to show that exposure to NOx/NH 3 emissions in the
site’s surroundings, on average, is in line with typical background concentrations. Overall nitrogen deposition is
within the limits for maximum background levels in rural areas. We do not handle persistent organic pollutants
(POPs) and thus comply with Regulation (EC) No. 850/2004, Annex 1, Part A.
Excluding the silicon-metal plant in Holla, Norway, dust emissions for 2012 totaled 37 metric tons (2011: 45
tons). Particulate matter emissions amounted to 21 metric tons in 2012 (2011: 22 metric tons), excluding Holla.
The drop is due to fewer emissions at our US site in Calvert City. The emissions for Holla were also lower.
56
Em i ssi o n s to Ai r, Bu si n e ss D i vi si o n s / Me ta l l u rg y
t
2012
2011
Groupwide Groupwide
2012
Business
Divisions 1
2011
2012
2011
Business Metallurgical Metallurgical
Divisions 1 Production 2 Production 2
Ai r
CO2 emissions
NOx nitrogen oxides
NMVOC non-methane
volatile organic compounds
1 ,2 9 4 ,4 2 4 1,341,107 3 9 8 3 ,2 0 0 1,020,000 3
3 1 0 ,8 0 0
321,000
2 ,2 2 5
2,221
1 ,0 7 2
1,052
1 ,1 5 3
1,169
418
396
411
389
7
7
1 WACKER bus ines s divis ions , without s ilicon-metal production in H olla, N orway
2 H olla s ite, N orway
3 Figure contains final meas ured emis s ions for the Burghaus en power s tation in accordance with the monitoring guidelines of the European emis s ions trading s ys tem (EU
ETS).
In ve stm e n ts a n d Pro j e cts fo r R e d u ci n g Em i ssi o n s to Ai r
Through projects associated with the WOS (Wacker Operating System) program, we were able to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions to air by around 3 percent in the period under review. One example of a project for
increasing raw-material yields is the ethylene recovery facility designed for WACKER POLYMERS’ dispersions
operations in Burghausen. Optimization measures that we implemented there have resulted in ethylene
savings of 10 percent and reduced emissions.
In 2011, Siltronic’s Freiberg site installed an additional waste-gas purification and discharge system to reduce
emissions to air. To prevent emissions to air, we have been cleaning hazardous substances off piping and
equipment in a closed hall with a waste-gas treatment system since 2011 at Nünchritz.
When it comes to climate protection, production is not the only factor – our employees’ carbon footprint is also
significant. We encourage them to leave their cars at home. We provide commuter buses for shift workers at
Burghausen, our largest site. Together with 12 bus companies, we have set up some 60 bus routes within a 50km radius. On average, 5,300 Burghausen site employees use the shuttle service every day. We also maintain
a fleet of bicycles at the site and offer employees the possibility to recharge their e-bikes.
Furthermore, we encourage our employees to take the train when traveling between the Burghausen site and
Munich headquarters. In October 2012, we negotiated a flat rate for this regular route with German Rail, which
also includes the journey on Munich’s subway to the train station. In Burghausen, a shuttle bus transports
employees arriving from Munich from the train station to the various destinations on site.
We offer shuttle buses from residential areas to WACKER’s Chinese sites in Nanjing, Shanghai and
Zhangjiagang. Siltronic’s US site at Portland (Oregon) provides incentives – such as subsidized public
transportation – to encourage employees to commute in an environmentally aware fashion. In Singapore,
Siltronic has arranged for shuttle buses to travel from the site to various parts of the city. Employees at Siltronic
in Japan have two car-free days a month, when they walk, bike, car share or use public transport to get to work.
Since 2011, our company car fleet in Germany has only included models that meet a minimum rating of
“good” according to the safety and environmental assessment criteria issued by the German Automobile
Association (ADAC). We have tightened the CO2 emissions limits for our company cars to a maximum of 120
to 190 g/km. As a result, we have lowered CO2 emissions by over 6 percent in the period under review, relative
to an annual average of 30,000 km traveled per company car. By 2014, when all the older models have been
replaced, our vehicle fleet’s annual CO2 emissions will have dropped by 10 percent.
During the period under review, we tested hydrogen-powered vehicles, but decided that electric vehicles are
more suitable for us. The electric drive does not generate exhaust gases, is quiet and has low operating and
maintenance costs, as it requires less servicing. A hydrogen-driven industrial truck currently costs 300 percent
more than an electric vehicle. Added to this would be high costs for the necessary infrastructure measures.
We use electric drives for forklift trucks and the like. Over two thirds of the materials-handling equipment (lifting
trucks, stackers and towing vehicles) at our Burghausen and Nünchritz sites now have electric motors.
Groupwide, the switchover to energy-saving electric motors now covers other equipment, such as pumps and
compressors.
57
Two electric minibuses joined Burghausen’s
company vehicle fleet in November 2012. Used
to shuttle visitors across the site, these batteryoperated models have replaced the two buses
powered by conventional combustion engines.
Since 2012, the Stetten salt mine has been using
an electric excavator to handle backfill material,
which is used to fill in the cavities created as salt
is extracted. A diesel-powered excavator had
previously been used below ground for this
purpose.
N ü n ch ri tz : In te g ra te d H e a t- R e co ve ry Syste m a n d Fu rth e r Pro ce ss En h a n ce m e n ts R e d u ce
Spe ci fi c C O 2 Em i ssi o n s
In Nünchritz, we hooked up distillation columns in 2005 to form a heat-recovery system to save energy and
costs. Over recent years, we have systematically enhanced production processes and expanded the heatrecovery system. This has markedly reduced not only steam generation in our CHP plant but also specific CO2
emissions (emissions per net production volume). The 2011 increase was caused by polysilicon production
going on stream.
Water
Water is an extremely precious resource – not only as drinking water, but also as a raw material, solvent and
coolant in many technical and chemical processes. At WACKER, we use water sparingly and protect natural
water resources. We always purify our wastewater as effectively as possible and recycle the water through
loops in our production. We make sure that this multiple use does not increase energy consumption or
otherwise negatively impact the environment.
58
In many parts of the world, clean water is particularly scarce; obtaining and purifying water is very expensive
there. As a globally-active company, we take such conditions into account in our production processes and
during transport.
Wa te r C o n su m pti o n Te ste d U si n g th e G l o ba l Wa te r To o l ©
We used the Global Water Tool© (GWT)
developed by the World Business Council for Sustainable
Development (WBCSD) to analyze the annual relative water stress index of the countries in which our main
global production sites are located. These regions represented more than 90 percent of our production volume
and around 98 percent of our global water consumption in the 2011 and 2012 reporting years. In the course of
our analysis, we also considered the development of the annual renewable water supply until 2025.
The water stress index used, which was defined by the Water Systems Analysis Group of the University of
New Hampshire, USA, provides information on the relationship between water consumption and the availability
of renewable fresh water. The outcome of the analysis is that our most important production sites are located in
regions with a low relative water stress index. More than 97 percent of our annual water consumption occurs in
these regions. Production sites in countries for which no water stress index information is available from the
GWT account for less than 0.5 percent of our water consumption.
The following diagram depicts how we treat wastewater at our Burghausen site.
Stru ctu re o f Wa ste w a te r D i spo sa l a t th e Bu rg h a u se n Si te
The colors given for the s eparate s ewers in the s chematic corres pond to the actual color labeling of the manhole covers at the
Burghaus en s ite.
Black denotes a clos ed pipe route.
Abbreviations (German)
BARA: Biological was tewater treatment plant
CHEMARA: Chemical-mechanical was tewater treatment plant
FFA: Fluoride precipitation plant
FWW: Flocculation, wes t plant
The process water used at Nünchritz comes from on-site wells (2011: 3,216,008 m 3; 2012: 4,056,342 m 3).
59
Drinking water accounts for less than 1 percent of our total water consumption at this site. In the course of
setting up the polysilicon facilities at our Nünchritz site – which came on stream in 2011 – we expanded the
wastewater treatment plants as well. In spring 2011, additional chemical-mechanical cleaning stages were
incorporated into the water treatment system, which doubled the capacity for inorganic wastewater.
The town of Freiberg is connected to a highly branched, man-made water ditch system. Our Siltronic site there
uses surface water, which is carried to the site by such a ditch, to cool the crystal pulling facilities. We also purify
the surface water into hyperpure water for wafer production.
By modifying production processes and re-using materials, our Siltronic division has reduced its use of
chemicals, for example in wafer cleaning tanks. As a result, nitrate loads in the wastewater at Siltronic’s sites
have fallen by about 70 percent over the last 15 years. We reuse water several times over, wherever the purity
requirements for wafer manufacturing permit. This has allowed us to reduce consumption of demineralized
(deionized) water by 20 percent in Burghausen and around 30 percent in Portland over the last 15 years
without compromising on quality. We monitor the use of ultrapure water in wafer production, where Siltronic
achieves a water-recycling rate of up to 45 percent.
At our site in Nanjing, China, we optimized production processes for VAE (vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer)
dispersions, reducing wastewater volumes in 2012 by 11 percent compared to 2010. VAE dispersions are used
in the manufacture of adhesives and coatings, for example.
During the period under review, cooling water consumption fell in line with a reduction in capacity utilization at
several sites due to the economic downturn. In the case of wastewater, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and
adsorbable organic halides (AOX) were both down because we closed the Burghausen acetaldehyde plant in
the third quarter of 2012.
Wa te r C o n su m pti o n / Em i ssi o n s to Wa te r
20121
Water consumption (m 3)
3
Cooling water volume (m )
Wastewater volume 3 (m 3)
20111
20102
2 4 2 ,0 7 2 ,0 0 0 2 6 8 ,6 5 7 ,0 0 0
252,151,000
2 2 5 ,3 9 1 ,0 0 0 2 4 8 ,0 6 4 ,0 0 0
233,153,000
1 9 ,5 6 9 ,7 4 0
2 1 ,2 4 4 ,2 8 0
21,031,000
COD (chemical oxygen demand) (t)
1 ,4 6 0
1 ,6 8 0
1,820
AOX (adsorbable organic halides) (t)
3
5
6
1 .2
0 .8
1.3
410
440
420
7 .0
6 .8
7.0
Heavy metals (t)
Nitrogen (t)
Phosphorus (t)
1
3
Excluding cooling water
2
60
WAC KER Pro m o te s D i ve rsi ty o f Spe ci e s i n El be R i ve r
Stocks of pike in the Elbe River have been dwindling over
recent years. This can be attributed above all to long periods of
low water levels. WACKER has taken an active role here in
supporting biodiversity. In September 2012, Nünchritz site
manager Gerd Kunkel released locally farmed pike into the
Elbe. Experts at the sport-fishing association expect this
measure to increase the size of the river’s pike population.
Mature pike serve as “health police,” eating animals that are
ill, weak or injured and thus keep the water clean.
According to fisheries inspector Lutz Otto, water discharged
from the WACKER wastewater treatment plant in Nünchritz is
clean and popular with predatory and other fish, which easily
find food in the clear and relatively warm water. The
wastewater is monitored at the plant by WACKER, in a
dedicated lab. Here flow rate, temperature, pH values and
further chemical parameters are continually measured. In
addition, the authorities test the quality of the water through
taking unannounced random samples.
Children look on as WACKER site manager
Gerd Kunkel and fisheries inspector Lutz Otto
(wearing cap) release new pike into the Elbe
River in September 2012.
Soil and Groundwater
Like many other long-standing chemical companies, WACKER has some soil contamination on its premises.
In the pioneering days of chemical production, nobody was aware of the dangers posed by certain chemicals,
or that some substances could persist in the ground for extended periods without undergoing degradation.
To remediate this legacy of contamination, WACKER has been extracting air from the soil at the Burghausen
site since 1989. This predominantly removes highly volatile halogenated hydrocarbons from the soil, which are
then incinerated to render them harmless. To date, 1,957 metric tons of chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCs) have
been removed in this way. As soil treatment progresses, the amount of contaminant removed decreases, as is
to be expected. In 2012, only 18 metric tons were removed (2010: 23 metric tons).
Since 2003, we have been using a groundwater stripping plant to treat an area of localized groundwater
contamination east of the Burghausen site. By the end of 2012, 28 metric tons of CHCs had been removed;
pollutant concentrations have been reduced to one sixth of their original levels. In order to reduce the discharge
of hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) into the tailrace, we are continuing groundwater treatment of the site’s
contaminated areas. Currently, 73 kg of the pollutant is being removed per year. The results of our fish
contaminant survey at Burghausen indicate that the fish are quite safe to eat.
Additionally, there is some groundwater contamination at our Nünchritz site. This predates WACKER’s
takeover of the site. We have been cleaning up the groundwater there since 2009 and have been using a
hydraulic process since 2012. The process involves pumping the groundwater into a treatment system, and
returning it to the ground after purification. By the end of 2012, we had cleaned a total of 65,000 cubic meters of
groundwater there.
In partnership with NW Natural (formerly Gasco), Siltronic in Portland financed a design for the remediation of
the banks of the Willamette River, which flows past the premises of both companies. This area contains
residues of, for example, oil and tar, which were deposited there before the site’s acquisition by Siltronic.
61
Prior to 1973, chlorinated hydrocarbons were stored in a chemical warehouse in the southern part of
Düsseldorf. For reasons that remain unclear, some of these substances contaminated the soil and
groundwater. At the time, the warehouse was rented by a freight forwarder; Deutsche Bahn (Germany’s
national rail company) owns the site. Together with the forwarder from that time, WACKER organized and
financed an inspection of the soil and groundwater in preparation for an effective remediation program.
WACKER carried out these measures from 2011 to 2013 in consultation with Düsseldorf’s Environmental
Agency. We are still convinced that we did not cause the contamination.
Waste
R e cycl e d Wa ste
1
2
In integrated production, we minimize waste by feeding byproducts back into the production loop. WACKER
endeavors to avoid waste throughout a product’s entire life cycle.
In 2012, we recycled 96,880 metric tons of waste, a year-on-year rise of over 20 percent (2011: 80,290 metric
tons). Disposable waste has been reduced, since the filter cake from wastewater treatment in Burghausen is
now being recycled instead of being disposed of as before.
In Burghausen, waste that previously had to be disposed of as hazardous waste has been supplied to cement
factories as fuel since 2011. Thanks to this measure, we emit around 1,400 metric tons of CO2 less per year.
Due to its high silicon dioxide content, dewatered pyrogenic silica sludge from the hazardous-waste
incinerator can also be used as an additive in cement production and as a landfill construction material. In
2012, our Burghausen plant supplied around 2,800 metric tons (2011: 3,550 metric tons) of this sludge to a
cement factory and recycled 4,500 metric tons (2011: 3,850 metric tons) as landfill construction material.
In 2012, we recovered around 8,300 metric tons (2011: 5,100 metric tons) of dewatered mineral sludge for
external use as a landfill construction material. In addition, we turned 2,650 metric tons of dewatered mineral
sludge into backfill material and used it at our own Stetten salt mine. Prior to 2010, such material would have
been destined for a hazardous-waste disposal site. Our new approach cuts down on the use of more valuable
construction aggregates and backfill material. In the future, we plan to recover most of the sludge for use in
landfills and as backfill.
Groupwide, we record the volume of hazardous waste we generate according to two criteria: “to be recycled”
and “to be disposed of.” Currently, we do not have figures relating to the export of waste for the entire Group,
but we can say that no hazardous waste is exported from our Burghausen site.
62
The following diagram depicts how we recycle or dispose of waste and waste gas at our Burghausen site.
Wa ste a n d Wa ste - G a s D i spo sa l a t th e Bu rg h a u se n Si te
Wa ste
20121
t
To ta l
Of w h i ch
20111
20102
1 3 6 ,8 0 0
1 2 7 ,7 0 0
125,550
Disposed of
3 9 ,9 2 0
4 7 ,4 1 0
48,520
Recycled
9 6 ,8 8 0
8 0 ,2 9 0
77,030
Hazardous
7 3 ,6 2 0
6 8 ,2 3 0
69,320
Non-hazardous
6 3 ,1 8 0
5 9 ,4 7 0
56,230
Or
1
2
Pre ve n ti n g Pa cka g i n g a n d Tra n spo rt Wa ste
WACKER is keen to minimize the environmental impact of its packaging materials. For instance, our Siltronic
division prefers reusable packaging such as the Hybox. Some 50 percent of 300 mm wafers from Burghausen,
Freiberg and Singapore are shipped in this type of reusable container, which is designed for transportation in
hygienically sensitive areas. Each Hybox shipped saves us 50 kilograms in packaging material. Since 2006,
these reusable containers have saved us over 1,245 metric tons of waste overall. Although we still ship most of
our smaller silicon wafers in disposable packaging, we have replaced the protective inner layer of foamed
plastic with sustainably sourced cardboard.
In i ti a ti ve s a g a i n st Wa ste
We maintain a chemicals-exchange database. Burghausen site employees can use it to identify surplus
substances, either in opened packaging drums, or in their original container. The database is a practical way to
coordinate the recycling of surplus materials.
63
U SA: H a z a rd o u s- Wa ste D a y fo r N e i g h bo rs
WACKER held its 14th “Household Hazardous Waste Day” for
neighbors of its Adrian, Michigan site in spring 2011. On this
day, neighbors from Lenawee county can bring in anything not
allowed in trash cans, like oil and (latex) paints, flammable
liquids, waste oil, antifreeze, insect repellents, spray cans,
alkaline and mercury batteries, fluorescent tubes and
incandescent lamps. Held since 1997, this campaign run by
employee volunteers has resulted in the collection of some
115 metric tons of hazardous waste at Adrian. Since 2012,
we’ve been conducting this campaign in collaboration with
another chemical company from the region, trading off with
them as a venue every other year.
Adrian site employees invite their neighbors to
bring in their haz ardous waste for recycling
each spring.
Dialogue and Awards
Our sites regularly inform the public about our environmental-protection activities, including annual community
meetings at Nünchritz (Germany), as well as similar events with neighbors or “open houses” at Adrian
(Michigan, USA) and Zhangjiagang in China. Our Burghausen, Freiberg and Nünchritz sites publish annual
environmental reports (available in German only) containing environmental-protection and safety-related facts
and figures.
WACKER has been a member of the Bavarian Environmental Pact since it was founded in 1995. From 2010 to
2015, this Pact is running under the slogan “Sustainable growth balanced by environmental and climate
protection.” The Environmental Pact is an agreement between the Bavarian government and Bavarian
industry, in which both parties have declared their belief that natural resources can be better protected through
voluntary, responsible cooperation between industry and state rather than by laws and regulations alone. The
Pact serves as a catalyst to promote climate protection and energy conservation, sustainable mobility,
environmental engineering and resource efficiency. Its primary aim is to avoid environmental pollution. In
2011, the Bavarian Environment Ministry honored WACKER with a certificate for having participated in the
Bavarian Environmental Pact from the very start.
64
En vi ro n m e n ta l Aw a rd s 2 0 1 1 /2 0 1 2
Award
Recipient
Sponsor
Excellent Environmental
Performance Company 2012
Pollution Control 10 Year Award
2002-2011
WACKER Greater China
(Nanjing)
Siltronic Corporation
Local authority / Chemical
Industry Park Nanjing
Environmental Services
City of Portland
Pollution Control Award 2012
Silver Sustainability at Work
Certification
Environmental Services
City of Portland
City of Portland,
Bureau of Sustainability
Wildlife at WorkSM Certificate
Recertification 2011
Ecomagination Leadership Award
2011
The Wildlife Habitat Council
General Electric
Proofs Not Promises Award
“Pretreatment Optimization” 2012
Proofs Not Promises Award
“Dispersions Recycling” 2012
General Electric
General Electric
Return on Environment Award 2012 Wacker Chemical Corp.
2011 Certificate for Bavarian
Wacker Chemie AG
Environmental Pact Pioneers
General Electric
Bavarian State Ministry of the
Environment and Public Health
Design + Technology Award 2011,
CO2 Efficiency category
MATERIALICA tradeshow
Wacker Chemie AG
En vi ro n m e n ta l Aw a rd fo r WAC KER i n th e U SA
Congratulations on winning the GE Ecomagination Leadership Award.
US-based General Electric (GE) honored WACKER with its Ecomagination Leadership Award in 2011. The
award recognized Wacker Chemical Corporation’s environmental-protection activities at its Calvert City
(Kentucky, USA) site. Together with GE experts, WACKER developed a solution to reduce waste and enhance
wastewater-treatment efficiency. This included improvements to production processes and to instrumentation
and wastewater-treatment equipment. The project resulted in the elimination of some 5,000 metric tons of
landfill waste and in savings of over 64,000 cubic meters in water consumption. It also led to an annual
reduction of 154,000 traveled kilometers for sludge transportation.
65
Nature Conservation and Biodiversity
WACKER promotes biodiversity, taking account of local conditions. Its environmental-protection efforts to
conserve resources and reinstate habitat help maintain the balance of species. Burghausen’s Site Planning unit
develops strategies for limiting land use.
We carefully assess the impact that site expansions may have on nature and biodiversity and – in consultation
with the authorities – implement environmental mitigation programs to offset these impacts. Take the
expansion of our polysilicon production facilities at Burghausen and Nünchritz, for example. For every tree
felled during construction of the new polysilicon production facility on the now 1.3-km 2 Nünchritz site, we plant
a new one.
Covering 232 hectares (about the same size as Munich’s historic downtown district), our Burghausen site
borders a Natura 2000 nature reserve alongside the Salzach river. To check whether the operation of our
facilities has any effect on this reserve, we regularly monitor our air pollution levels. In this regard, we had an
external consultant compile an environmental-exposure register for the site. The results show that emissions
into the atmosphere at the site do not significantly impact the nature reserve.
A group of employees at our US site in Adrian (Michigan) has set up nesting boxes for various species of bird
and maintains a 2.4-km nature trail. The 97-hectare site premises also feature wildflower and butterfly
gardens. For its dedication to nature and wildlife conservation, the Adrian team was once again awarded the
US Wildlife Habitat Council’s 2011 Wildlife at WorkSM certificate, which is valid for three years.
Stre a m R e - N a tu ra l i z e d a n d Fi sh L a d d e r In sta l l e d
WACKER has installed a fish ladder on the Bockau, a small
river in the Seusslitzer Grund Nature Reserve. The project was
carried out in 2012 in close cooperation with several German
nature conservation associations, including NABU (Nature
and Biodiversity Conservation Union), environmental
agencies and the Nünchritz municipal authorities. Its purpose
was to restore the ecological passability of the Bockau. The
€100,000 project offset a wetland biotope near the Nünchritz
plant that had to give way to expansion of the production site.
The course of the Bockau in Seusslitzer Grund has been renaturalized over a distance of sixty meters. A so-called rock
ramp fish ladder has been built where a two-and-a-half-meter
high obstacle had interrupted the free flow of water. The fish
can now pass upstream through the gently sloped ladder. The
passageway also makes it possible for many other kinds of
animals to once again populate the Bockau River. These
include endangered species such as the brook lamprey, an
eel-like vertebrate now rarely seen in Germany. Seusslitzer
Grund has also become a suitable habitat for brook trout, fire
salamanders and freshwater shrimp – the conservation area
conforms to the EU Fauna and Flora Habitats Directive (Nature
Directive 92/43/EEC).
At the dedication for the newly constructed fish
ladder, children from the “Schwalbennest” day
nursery in Nünchritz placed paper boats and
water lilies they made themselves into the
flowing water. Wolfgang Semmler, head of
Environmental Protection and Safety at
Nünchritz , helped scoop them out again.
66
Logistics and Transport
We constantly strive to improve our processes in order to optimize logistics chains and minimize shipment
journeys or avoid unnecessary ones. Since 2010, our Logistics department has been using a simulation
system to help us analyze the flow of goods. We can also use this system to calculate carbon dioxide
emissions and determine the potential for optimizing transport routes and vehicle capacity utilization. We use
electronic systems to organize in-plant transportation such that routes are short and wasted empty space is
avoided. As well as checking carbon dioxide levels, we monitor noise emissions from the vehicles we use for
our shipments.
In 2012, we transferred 740,000 metric tons of finished products from our Burghausen logistics hub to our
customers (2011: 715,000 metric tons). The number of journeys rose about 15 percent to just under 43,000.
More than 38,000 truckloads (2011: 35,000) and 11,540 overseas containers (2011: 10,500) were required to
transport our products. 70 percent of our shipments are by road and 30 percent by rail (22 percent of which are
then transferred to ship).
From our Nünchritz site, some 5,000 containers are
transported to German seaports by rail and inland waterways
from Riesa every year. When we procure raw materials, they
are primarily transported by rail, too. Over shorter distances,
however, truck transport is still more cost-effective and thus
indispensable.
R e d u ci n g Sh i pm e n t R o u te s
In integrated production, we transport products and
byproducts from one plant to neighboring facilities by
pipeline. For large quantities, the transport of products by
pipeline is cost-effective, safe and emission-free. Ethylene,
one of our most important raw materials, is piped to our
Burghausen site from the adjacent OMV Deutschland site.
Most of the freight containers leaving our
German sites reach northern ports via rail.
Our Nünchritz plant obtains cartridges for silicones from a packaging manufacturer in nearby Grossenhain.
Burghausen procures reusable IBCs (intermediate bulk containers), drums and pallets from regional suppliers.
Take the following example from Burghausen, where we have replaced 250-liter drums for shipping silicone
fluids and emulsions with 1,000-liter IBCs. WACKER fills over 100,000 of these reusable containers annually,
and then sends them to a service provider a short distance away, where they are recycled.
Short distances to service providers and maximum avoidance of empty space in the containers help to
minimize emissions and waste. We are implementing similar measures at our sites in China, Japan and the
USA. As an alternative to tank containers and IBCs, we also use flexitanks to transport liquids to Brazil, China,
India and the Middle East, for example. WACKER mounts the flexitanks in containers in such a way that, once
the flexitank has been emptied, the container can be used for another cargo straight away, without having to be
cleaned first.
Piston tanks are an environmentally sound alternative to transport drums for viscous products such as our
silicone sealants. A moving internal piston pushes 25 metric tons of silicone sealant – equivalent to 125 steel
drums – into the tank semitrailer during loading. Customers can connect the tank directly to their filling
equipment and the piston pushes the product out of the tank. Several thousand metric tons of silicone sealant
currently leave our Burghausen site in this way.
WACKER’s sites outside Germany, too, procure mainly from regional suppliers to shorten transport distances.
During the period under review, we opened further facilities in China and have managed to avoid transporting
raw materials to them from Germany and the USA thanks to our integrated production system. With these
plants, our products are close to our Chinese customers, allowing us to reduce intercontinental transportation
routes.
67
We exchange electronic data with our shipping agents so that they can plan their trips as efficiently as possible
and ensure their vehicles are always fully loaded. Plus, we launched a strategy back in 1996 to help avoid
empty runs by focusing on regional shipping agents. It enables the agents responsible for a particular postal
code area to plan return journeys in their region so that trucks are almost never partially laden. Our annual
assessment of shipping agents extends to their environmental performance. For example, we ask how their
vehicles are rated in European emission standards (such as the Euro 5 exhaust emission standard). The
number of Euro 5 compliant vehicles used by our logistics providers has increased from just under 8 percent in
2006 to over 77 percent in 2012 (equivalent to around 15,000 trucks).
Im pro ve d Tra n spo rta ti o n In fra stru ctu re a t Ou r Si te s
WACKER has grown significantly in recent years. This is particularly true of production operations at our
Burghausen and Nünchritz sites. They rely on good logistics, not least to minimize the impact on the general
public. In 2011, we finished a 2.6-km bypass at our Nünchritz site to relieve congestion for residents in the
nearby village of Roda. At the new US polysilicon-production site in Tennessee, which is set for commissioning
in 2015, we have built a bridge over “Mouse Creek” to shorten traffic time to the site.
At our Burghausen site, we are currently building a public freight terminal, set to start up in early 2014. This
terminal will allow us to transfer more freight transport from road to rail. For example, one extra goods train a
week on top of the five trains currently traveling from Burghausen to North Sea ports is all it would take to
transfer around 2,500 truckloads to rail. A new gate at the site’s northern end will provide the connection to the
terminal. It will be built in 2013 specifically for this purpose.
Wherever possible, we are switching from road to rail transport. Today, the majority of the freight containers
leaving our German sites are transported by rail to North Sea ports, in particular. Since 1999, WACKER’s 600meter long container train has traveled every day from Burghausen to the ports in Bremerhaven and Hamburg.
In Burghausen, we now transport more than 95 percent of container shipments by rail, which means that over
11,000 freight containers a year no longer travel to ports by road. Running at virtually 100-percent capacity
utilization, it is one of the most efficiently used container trains in the industry.
The national rail carrier Deutsche Bahn AG replaced its
diesel locomotives with a new class during the period under
review. These new locomotives comply with current
emissions standards and are so powerful that one alone is
sufficient to pull the entire container train (two were required
previously). We implemented further measures to optimize
logistics and minimize disturbance to residents. For
example, we significantly reduced the amount of shunting
required by our locomotives.
To monitor our journeys, we follow the “guidelines for
determining the carbon dioxide emissions associated with
logistics operations” (German language only) issued by the
German Chemical Industry Association (VCI). Our container
trains between Burghausen/Nünchritz and the ports of
Bremerhaven and Hamburg replace around 18,000 road
journeys a year. This saves around 1,600 metric tons of
carbon dioxide annually.
By deploying new rail tankers, we further
lowered noise emissions at our Burghausen
site. They have composite brakes, also known
as whisper brakes. This reduces the noise
emissions of trains by around ten decibels.
Expa n si o n o f Tra n spo rt R o u te s to C h e m D e l ta Ba va ri a
Expansion of the A 94 Munich to Passau autobahn – supported by the ChemDelta Bavaria association of
companies – is progressing. In December 2012, the 4.3-km Ampfing-to-Heldenstein section was officially
opened. The only stretches between Munich and ChemDelta Bavaria that still need to be built run from
Pastetten to Dorfen (17.4 km) and Dorfen to Heldenstein (14.9 km). Here, some parts are under construction
and some still lack funding. A continuous autobahn from Munich to Marktl can be expected for 2018 at the
earliest. Completion of the A 94 would not only improve the transport infrastructure of ChemDelta Bavaria, but
also relieve congestion in villages and towns along the B12 highway and thus reduce the risk of accidents on
this stretch of road. We actively support the “Ja zur A 94 e.V. ” (Yes to A 94) association (German-language
link only).
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The ChemDelta Bavaria’s second major infrastructure project is the electrification of the rail route to Munich
and its expansion to two tracks. This project has recently been making progress, too. Previously, the rail line to
Burghausen had been in the same condition as in 1897, with the exception of a few enhancements over recent
years. The section between Altmühldorf and Tüssling, where three rail lines meet, is a bottleneck; around 1
percent of German freight traffic passes through here. This bottleneck is scheduled to be removed by 2017.
We support the “Magistrale für Europa ” (Major Rail Route for Europe) initiative (German-language link only),
which has been committed to the expansion of the rail connection between Paris and Budapest under the
slogan “from patchwork to network” for the past 20 years. The Munich-Mühldorf-Freilassing section is on this
route.
Eth yl e n e Pi pe l i n e So u th
The Ethylene Pipeline South
(EPS) provides the infrastructure needed for safely and economically
transporting ethylene between major southern German chemical sites and helps to maintain ChemDelta
Bavaria’s competitive advantage and to safeguard jobs.
For the EPS, a 370-km long pipeline runs west from Münchsmünster in Bavaria across Baden-Württemberg to
Ludwigshafen in Rhineland-Palatinate. Construction began in 2007. During 2012, the final section was
installed, the EPS pipeline filled and continuous operation tested. Official opening and start-up took place in
summer 2013.
The pipeline enables ethylene to be transported without emissions and at very low energy costs. Once the
construction work has been completed, the EPS will be virtually invisible and will have no adverse effect on the
landscape. Pipelines were not laid in protected areas where drinking water is abstracted or mineral springs are
located, and were only installed in significant water management areas if special safety precautions were put in
place.
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Product Safety and
Product Stewardship
WACKER takes environmental, and health and safety criteria into account at every stage of the product life cycle.
We ensure that all our products, if used correctly, pose no
risk to health or the environment.
Product Saf et y and Product St ewardship
P ro d u c tS a fe ty a n d P ro d u c tS te w a rd s h ip
Product Safety
WACKER provides information on the safe use of its products and is continually working to prevent or reduce
the use of substances which are harmful to human health or the environment in products. We pursue this aim
in a number of ways:
We try to replace harmful substances with alternatives.
If no alternative is available, we restrict the sale of products containing harmful substances to commercial
and industrial customers wherever possible.
We develop innovative alternatives to conventional products containing harmful substances.
As a guide for our product developers, we maintain a list of about 500 substances that are no longer to be used
at WACKER. They include not only forbidden and restricted chemicals (e.g. substances included in REACH
Appendices XIV and XVII), but also substances that are the subject of public controversy or classed as
undesirable by individual companies. We avoid substances that are on the European Chemicals Agency’s List
of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC).
Pro d u ct In fo rm a ti o n
We ensure that there are no risks to health or the environment from any of our products, provided they are used
correctly. We continually update our product information and constantly revise our risk assessments to include
the latest findings about safety aspects and environmental impact. We also adapt our risk assessments to take
account of new findings that must be incorporated into substance safety reports according to REACH.
Pro d u ct Ad ve rti si n g
When advertising our products and services, we make sure that all the data contained in, for example, our
brochures is verifiable, is stated with precise, legally compliant terminology,and wording that reflects current
scientific knowledge. Below are some examples of our advertising that refers to sustainability for constructionsector products:
We discuss energy efficiency in a video
on external thermal insulation composite systems.
In the “Sustainability Is Feasible: Facades” brochure, we illustrate how our products for the construction
sector contribute to saving energy costs and building materials and avoiding emissions.
In an advertisement for GENIOSIL ® WP, we show that this hybrid polymer can be used to formulate
waterproofing products without the addition of solvents, plasticizers or tin catalysts.
Sa fe ty D a ta Sh e e ts
Only some 40 percent of WACKER products require safety data sheets by law. We go beyond these
requirements and compile data sheets for all our sales products – not just for those classified as hazardous
substances. WACKER issues over 75,000 safety data sheets in up to 35 languages.
WACKER publishes a wide range of information in its data sheets to ensure that substances and mixtures are
handled correctly:
Designations of substances and mixtures
Potential risks
Composition and information about ingredients
First-aid measures
Fire-fighting measures
Response in the event of accidental release
Handling and storage
Restriction and monitoring of exposure / personal protective equipment
Physical and chemical properties
Stability and reactivity
Toxicological data
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Environmental data
Notes on disposal
Transportation guidelines
Legislation and other information
N a n o m a te ri a l s
So far, there is no standard definition for the term “nanomaterial” and there are no standardized specifications
for the analysis methods used to classify substances as nanomaterials. For the identification of nanomaterials,
WACKER refers to the EU recommendation on the definition of these materials (2011/696/EU), which is based
on ISO TC 229 “Nanotechnologies.”
Nanomaterials can possess innovative properties that significantly enhance products and processes. What is
true of all chemical substances also applies to nanomaterials: it is important to take account of the risk to
production staff and users through inhalation, or dermal or oral exposure. In addition, effects on health that may
result from the uptake of nanomaterials in the form of particles, fibers or platelets are under discussion. (Source:
“Empfehlung für die Gefährdungsbeurteilung bei Tätigkeiten mit Nanomaterialien am Arbeitsplatz”
(recommendation issued by the BAuA (German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) and the
VCI (German Chemical Industry Association) for the analysis of hazards during activities involving
nanomaterials at the workplace.)
All the nanomaterials that we produce or use have been recorded and their risks assessed. Most of them are
nanostructured – a classification that includes materials whose internal structures are nanoscale (between 1
and 100 nanometers), but whose external dimensions are greater than the nano-range. These nanostructured
products include HDK® pyrogenic silica, a powder used as a thickener, filler or flow enhancer. The
physicochemical properties of the HDK® product group have been examined in detail. Here, we collaborated
with external scientific institutes. Extensive toxicological, eco-toxicological and epidemiological data exist.
In collaboration with the Technical University of Dresden, we validated analytical techniques to measure
nanoparticles. We investigated the potential release of nanoparticles at our labs and, in 2010, at our HDK®
production facility, as well. The results showed no relevant release of HDK® nanoparticles. We are continuing
our work on this topic and are paying particular attention to nano-specific regulatory requirements (e.g. national
nanoproduct registers and specific REACH requirements), which we implement accordingly.
R EAC H
REACH legislation, which came into force in 2007, governs the registration, evaluation, authorization and
restriction of chemicals within the European Union. Comprehensive data are gathered through REACH, which
imposes high requirements on the manufacturers, importers and users of chemical products. On the European
market, all substances used or imported in annual quantities exceeding one metric ton must be registered and
evaluated. The scope of evaluation work is largely determined by the quantity of material produced or imported
and the expected risks. Particularly high-risk substances are subject to regulatory approval. REACH compliance
costs WACKER a total of €30 million.
1 5 3 R e g i stra ti o n D o ssi e rs Su bm i tte d a s Pa rt o f R EAC H
As of 2008, we are obligated to register all substances produced in Europe – and toxicologically classify their
properties – if annual quantities exceed one metric ton. The exact conditions of use must be taken into account.
By June 2013, WACKER had submitted 153 registration dossiers to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).
This includes 67 registration dossiers for substances between 100 and 1,000 metric tons a year, the
registration deadline of which expired on May 31, 2013. As part of the normal REACH procedure, the ECHA still
requires additional information to be provided on dossiers submitted during the first phase (2010).
By the end of 2012, together with the EU members’ regulatory bodies, the ECHA had identified 138
“substances of very high concern” for people and the environment as candidates for authorization. WACKER
has only been marginally affected to date, with only a few purchased substances, and none of its own.
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Since 2007, WACKER has been in close contact with its suppliers regarding their preregistrations for REACH,
registrations that have already been made and those planned for the coming years. To obtain authoritative
information, we systematically ask our suppliers about their current status – including about the use of
substances and mixtures. We will continue with these inquiries beyond the final REACH registration deadline
in 2018.
REACH demands extensive information about the properties of chemical products – which necessitates an
increase in mandatory animal testing. WACKER makes every effort to avoid such testing and only performs
ECHA-required tests. Whenever possible, we use recognized alternative methods, such as in-vitro tests. We
classify substances with similar properties into groups for testing and work within REACH consortia to
exchange scientific data with other companies.
Eu ro pe a n C h e m i ca l s Ag e n cy’ s R EAC H Sch e d u l e : D e a d l i n e s fo r Su bm i tti n g D o ssi e rs
1
New s ubs tances > 1 metric ton / year
Phas e-in s ubs tances > 1 metric ton / year
3 R50 / 53 s ubs tances : “highly toxic to aquatic organis ms ” and “may have long-term harmful effects in bodies of water”
4 CMR s ubs tances : carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction
5 Phas e-in s ubs tances : predominantly old s ubs tances lis ted on the EINECS inventory (European Inventory of Exis ting
Commercial Chemical Subs tances on the market before 1981)
2
GHS
GHS (Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals) is a United Nations initiative
for harmonizing the classification and labeling of hazardous substances. It is up to individual countries to
decide whether to adopt the system, and, if so, which modules to accept, and when. GHS was introduced to
Europe in January 2009 with the European Regulation on the Classification, Labeling and Packaging of
Substances and Mixtures (the CLP Regulation).
Eu ro pe a n U n i o n ’ s G H S Ti m e ta bl e
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We started adapting our safety data sheets to meet international GHS requirements back in 2007 and are
continuing this process in line with the GHS implementation deadlines set for the countries to which we supply
products. Since the introduction of some elements of the system is optional, GHS implementation differs from
country to country. According to experts, this runs counter to the idea of global harmonization, and means that
a specific product’s classification can vary from country to country.
G H S In tro d u cti o n i n Se l e cte d C o u n tri e s a n d R e g i o n s
Country/
Economic Region
Change of
Safety Data Sheets
Change of
Labels
Substances/
Mixtures
Australia
January 2017
January 2017
Substances and mixtures
Brazil
February 2011
June 2015
February 2011
June 2015
Substances
Mixtures
China
May 2011
May 2011
Europe
December 2010
June 2015
December 2010
June 2015
Substances
Mixtures
Japan
January 2011
December 2006
100 special substances
Mexico
July 2011
July 2011
Substances and mixtures,
so far still voluntary
Switzerland
December 2012
June 2015
December 2012
June 2015
Substances
Mixtures
Singapore
December 2010
December 2012
December 2010
December 2012
Substances
Mixtures
South Korea
July 2010
July 2013
July 2010
July 2013
Substances
Mixtures
Taiwan
January 2009
January 2009
Turkey
Potentially 2015
Potentially 2015
Not yet specified
USA
June 2015
June 2015
By 2015, all our mixtures will have been reclassified pursuant to EU GHS, too (7,000 mixtures). The ECHA has
set up a central classification and labeling register for hazardous substances. We have been registering all
relevant substances here since 2011.
GHS implementation costs WACKER around €3 million. For us, this system switchover means that every
product must be checked, reclassified and relabeled. Within just a few years, we must reclassify tens of
thousands of substances and mixtures, change all safety data sheets and redesign hazardous substance
labels to take account of the new symbols and hazard information.
GHS affects any employee involved with hazardous substances. It impacts not only production and laboratory
workers (who handle GHS-labeled chemicals on a daily basis), but also safety officers (who prepare SOPs).
Furthermore, employees who label vessels, piping and equipment have to know and be fully sensitized to the
new hazard symbols. WACKER provides its employees with online training and a wide range of informative
literature on GHS. The online GHS training is currently mandatory for all employees in Germany who work
with chemical substances.
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Ove rvi e w o f H a z a rd Sym bo l s i n th e EU
The GHS Regulation on the Clas s ification and Labeling of Chemicals has already replaced the previous orange haz ard
s ymbols for pure s ubs tances in Europe with new s ymbols cons is ting of a white diamond in a red frame.
G PS
The ICCA (International Council of Chemical Associations) has developed the “Global Product Strategy”
(GPS) , which contains rules for the assessment of the properties of chemicals and on how to provide
information on their safe use.
In Europe, most GPS requirements are satisfied by the European chemicals regulations REACH and CLP
(Classification, Labeling and Packaging of Substances and Mixtures). GPS takes the idea of easily available
and understandable information on the properties, risks, protective measures and safe use of chemicals
especially seriously and commits manufacturers to publishing so-called GPS Safety Summaries – descriptions
written in layman’s terms on the safe and environmentally sound use of chemicals, available to anyone via the
internet.
With its GPS chemicals portal, the ICCA gives the public access to information for the responsible handling of
chemicals. So far, we have published 41 GPS Safety Summaries
in the ICCA’s GPS chemicals portal for the
substances we have registered with the ECHA.
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Product Stewardship
WACKER’s research and development follows three goals.
1. Firstly, we search for solutions that meet our customers’ needs and contribute to their market success.
2. Secondly, we optimize our processes in order to be the technology leader and to operate sustainably.
3. Thirdly, we concentrate on creating innovative products and applications for new markets and on tapping
into megatrends – such as higher energy requirements, urbanization, digitization and growing prosperity.
R e se a rch a l o n g th e Su ppl y C h a i n
WACKER takes environmental, and health and safety criteria into account at every stage of the product life
cycle – every research and development project examines the sustainability aspects of our new products and
processes, starting with the raw materials used. We try to minimize raw-material consumption, while selecting
materials that offer maximum ecological benefit. Here are a few examples:
In the period under review, WACKER POLYMERS launched projects to free its product portfolio of poorly
biodegradable substances.
Another key objective at this division was to continue enhancing the production processes for VINNAPAS®
dispersions and dispersible polymer powders. That conserves raw materials and energy. We have made
improvements in our production processes for vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) and for vinyl acetate-ethylene
(VAE) dispersions.
WACKER continually strives to optimize its processes – their efficiency, environmental aspects, energy
consumption and costs. For instance, our WACKER POLYSILICON division optimized the workflows in its
closed production loop during the period under review. We increased the purity of polysilicon through improved
production steps and continued to reduce energy consumption during deposition and conversion.
En vi ro n m e n ta l Asse ssm e n ts
Our products are generally supplied to business customers for further processing – not to end customers direct.
Cradle-to-gate assessments, however, are partial LCAs which look at the environmental impact of products
from the moment of manufacture to the time they reach the factory gate. They allow us to gage the
sustainability of our products and production processes, and to improve them accordingly. Having launched life
cycle assessments at WACKER POLYMERS in 2010, we extended these to further business divisions during
2011. Our goal is to establish this tool throughout the Group.
Our LCA data for VINNAPAS® brand VAE dispersible polymer powders (vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer) have
been incorporated into the Environmental Product Declaration project conducted by Deutsche Bauchemie
(German Association of Construction-Chemical Manufacturers).
We compiled life cycle assessments on various dispersions, such as polyvinyl acetate and VAE dispersions for
a project run by the European Polymer Dispersion and Latex Association (EPDLA). The EPDLA operates under
the mantle of the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC ).
WACKER took part in a 2012 study conducted by the European Silicones Centre (Centre Européen des
Silicones; CES ). This study looked at the entire product life cycle of silicones and related products, such as
silanes. It addressed two aspects: the CO2 emissions generated during the production of silicones and the CO2
savings accruing from their use. It found that the use of silicones reduces the carbon footprint of many major
products by a factor of 9. At 54 million metric tons of CO2 a year, this saving is equivalent to the emissions
arising from heating 10 million homes.
We have introduced a tool to evaluate systematically the risks and opportunities of our product line from an
environmental perspective. This WACKER ® Eco Assessment Tool factors in the material, water and energy
consumption of a product, as well as its ecotoxicity, over the entire life cycle. We have already used it to assess
some product families and we will be widening its scope to include others.
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Pro d u ct L i fe C ycl e s
R e se a rch a n d D e ve l o pm e n t a t Tw o L e ve l s
WACKER conducts R&D at two levels: centrally at our Corporate Research & Development department and
locally at our business divisions. Corporate R&D coordinates activities on a company-wide basis and involves
other departments, such as engineering (during process development). We also use a portfolio-management
process to keep our R&D project portfolio transparent throughout the Group. In 2012, we enhanced the Project
System Innovation (PSI) program we use to manage our innovation portfolio. The improvements include better
risk recognition and a greater focus on sustainability. Now, when we do research on new products, we also
systematically examine the use of materials, energy and water, and we assess ecotoxicity over the entire
product life cycle.
WAC KER Wi n s Be st In n o va to r Aw a rd
WACKER took first place in the Chemistry category of the 2011 Best Innovator Award for its sustainable
innovation management. Management consultants A.T. Kearney and German business weekly
“WirtschaftsWoche” organized the competition, which attracted more than 100 companies. The jury confirmed
that WACKER had introduced systematic processes and operated innovation management as a core area of
expertise. An important point in the jury’s assessment was that WACKER installed technology managers, who
monitor the entire supply chain and manage the company’s innovation effort in the technology and customer
segments.
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WACKER scientists are currently working on around 260 topics based on more than 40 technology platforms.
More than a quarter of the topics address strategic key projects in fields ranging from energy, construction,
automotive engineering, to household and personal-care products, food and biotechnology. In 2012, they
accounted for 45 percent of total incurred project costs of €77 million (2011: 45 percent of €78.9 million).
Stra te g i c C o l l a bo ra ti o n w i th C u sto m e rs a n d R e se a rch In sti tu te s
Our business divisions conduct application-driven R&D. They focus on product and process innovations
relating to semiconductor technology, silicone and polymer chemistry, and biotechnology, as well as on new
processes for producing polycrystalline silicon. To achieve successful research results more quickly and
efficiently, we collaborate with customers, scientific institutions and universities. In 2012, WACKER worked with
more than 56 international research institutes on around 59 research projects (2011: 25 institutes and 64
projects). In a further 60 research projects – or one quarter of all our research projects – we are collaborating
closely with customers, usually on the basis of collaboration agreements.
Our collaborative efforts cover topics such as electricity storage, biotechnology, process simulation and
materials research for renewable energy production. Two sample projects are given below.
In the field of lithium-ion batteries, Central R&D is working with various institutions, including the University
of Münster. In 2011, we joined the German Network of Competence for Lithium Ion Batteries (KLib)
(German-language link only).
Siltronic AG and imec, a Belgian nanoelectronics research institute, signed an agreement in 2011 to
collaborate on the development of silicon wafers with a gallium nitride layer (GaN-on-Si). This makes us an
affiliate member of the imec Industrial Affiliation Program (IIAP) . The aim of the project is to make possible
the production of next-generation solid-state illuminants (e.g. LEDs) and power semiconductors on 200 mm
silicon wafers.
Te ch n i ca l C o m pe te n ce C e n te rs fo r o u r C u sto m e rs
WACKER has also created a global network of 22 technical competence centers
that liaise between sales
offices and local production sites. Specialists in these centers customize products to regional requirements,
taking account of climatic conditions, national standards and local raw materials, for example. They develop
formulations for customers’ new products as well as optimize existing recipes.
Tra n sfe rri n g Kn o w l e d g e L o ca l l y
Our WACKER ACADEMY locations serve as a collection of forums for industry-specific knowledge transfer
between customers, distributors and WACKER experts. The focus is on industry-specific courses, which now
cover silicone applications in addition to polymer chemistry, such as for cosmetics and paints. The training
centers’ proximity to our development and test laboratories promotes the sharing of ideas and enables
participants to conduct practical on-site tests. We work with company research facilities, universities and
institutes to ensure our seminars remain state of the art.
R e se a rch a n d D e ve l o pm e n t Spe n d i n g
WACKER ranks among the world’s most research-intensive chemical companies. In 2012, the Group spent
€174.5 million on R&D (2011: €172.9 million). The R&D rate – research and development spending as a
percentage of Group sales – was 3.8 percent, slightly above last year’s figure. The bulk of R&D costs were
incurred in the development of new products and production processes.
Bre a kd o w n o f R &D Spe n d i n g
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Pu bl i cl y Fu n d e d R e se a rch Pro j e cts
Some of our research projects in 2011 and 2012 were subsidized by government grants. In 2012, these totaled
€2.3 million (2011: €2.8 million). Sample projects are outlined below.
Under the joint MAINPAGE project, the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation
and Nuclear Safety (BMU) funded a subproject of WACKER POLYSILICON and Siltronic. In MAINPAGE, we
conduct research on innovative new materials for industrial photovoltaic applications with enhanced energy
efficiency.
Our participation in the National Platform for Electric Mobility
(German-language link only) (NPE, a joint
initiative run by the German government and industry) has resulted in a number of collaborative projects
involving our Central R&D facility (Consortium). Some of these projects are publicly funded, one example
being the SafeBatt project to develop lithium-ion batteries that are fireproof and protected from explosion
(making them intrinsically safe), which is supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research
(BMBF). Another example is the alpha-Laion project funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and
Technology (BMWi), in which we conduct research on high-energy lithium batteries for electric vehicles.
In the EPoSil project, WACKER SILICONES is developing electrically-active silicone-based polymers for
energy production. This is another project funded by the BMBF.
In Germany’s joint SPINEL project (aimed at boosting the energy efficiency of photovoltaic and electronic
applications through innovative electronics-grade base material), the Federal Ministry of Education and
Research (BMBF) is subsidizing a Siltronic subproject.
We are researching electrode materials for lithium-sulfur batteries for the LiSSi
project sponsored by the
BMBF. We are developing such fourth-generation high-capacity lithium-ion batteries jointly with project
partners for electric mobility applications.
WACKER is working on two subprojects within the integrated Carbon Capture, Conversion and Cycling
(iC4)
(German-language link only) project funded by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The first is
focused on the separation and cleaning of CO2 in order to prepare it for additional use. The second is
researching catalysts for converting CO2 into hydrocarbons.
Our business divisions and Central R&D have also applied for government research grants totaling €2.5 million
for further projects that are still in the approval phase. Our externally-funded research projects are coordinated
through our Grant Management office, which evaluates candidate programs, submits our project proposals and
manages contacts with funders.
R e se a rch e rs a n d D e ve l o pe rs a t WAC KER
In 2012, 1,008 employees were engaged in research and development in Corporate R&D and across the
business divisions. That represents 6.2 percent of the Group’s workforce.
We recognize the dedication of our researchers by presenting them with awards. For their seminal work on
silane synthesis, WACKER honored two of its Corporate R&D scientists with the 2011 Alexander Wacker
Innovation Award. The two researchers developed a novel analytical method that, for the first time, permits
observation of processes which occur during the fluidized-bed synthesis of silicone precursors by the MüllerRochow method. With this knowledge, WACKER can further improve its production processes and thus save
millions in costs. 2011’s €10,000 Innovation Award focused on basic research.
In recognition of a product innovation at WACKER POLYMERS, three of the division’s employees were
presented with WACKER’s 2012 Alexander Wacker Innovation Award. These researchers developed novel
dispersions based on vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymers that are used for coating various materials. A
noteworthy feature of these coatings is that they make the print on cardboard packaging particularly durable
and vivid. Compared with acrylate-based products, the two VINNAPAS® dispersions EF 101 and EF 575 offer
customers an alternative technology with significant cost advantages.
A team of inventors from the Siltronic division topped the “Most Important Invention” category in the 2011
Inventor Award. This carries a cash prize of €10,000. The team found a way of improving processes that would
boost the quality of epitaxial wafers. Defect-free wafers save material and energy and save Siltronic millions in
costs every year.
The “Most Important Invention” category in the 2012 Inventor Award again went to a Siltronic employee, who
modified the process chambers of epitaxy reactors to make deposition more efficient. This boosted throughput
by 10 to 15 percent, and yielded annual savings in the tens of millions of euros.
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Se l e cte d R e se a rch To pi cs
In the energy sector, we continued our activities in electricity storage and conversion. We are working on
materials used in lithium-ion batteries to enhance this type of battery for automotive and consumer-product
applications. We are also focusing on lightweight construction, as lighter materials can be used to conserve raw
materials and energy, for instance in the automotive and aviation industries. In these fields, we are developing
building blocks for composites. We have developed silicone products that lend themselves to hydroelectric
power generation.
Today, technological innovation requires better and better materials – plastics that can be produced costefficiently and can withstand extreme temperatures without becoming brittle. In other words, components that
offer higher performance yet are still lighter in weight. Often, there is a need for properties that cannot be
realized in a single material. The solution here is VENTOTEC ®. This powder-form additive is composed of
spherical particles that have a low-modulus silicone core and a hard outer shell of organic polymer. Only small
quantities of VENTOTEC ® are needed to increase the toughness of the hardened resin significantly. Because
the silicone particles retain their elasticity down to around -130 °C, this effect remains intact even at very low
temperatures. VENTOTEC ® is suitable for wind turbines and was launched on the market in the period under
review.
WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS optimized its ESETEC ® process for pharmaceutical proteins. We conducted a
feasibility study of how to produce a PASylated human growth hormone in high yield. (PAS denotes the amino
acids proline, alanine and serine collectively.) PASylation ® technology enables the development of
biopharmaceuticals that are more compatible, longer lasting and do not have to be administered as frequently.
Using the ESETEC ® secretion system, we developed a process for an antibody fragment for the FAB (Fragment
Antigen Binding) product class for a customer project in 2011, which is now being clinically tested. The antibody
fragments are used in therapeutic projects and for diagnostic research purposes.
We have identified new cyclodextrin applications in areas such as dairy products and reduced-fat foods, and
received European Commission approval to use gamma-cyclodextrin as a food and beverage ingredient. The
addition of cyclodextrin can mask a bitter taste in green-tea products, for example. Cyclodextrins enhance the
bioavailability of ingredients such as curcumin and coenzyme Q10.
Su sta i n a bl e Pro d u cts
WACKER products are generally supplied to businesses for further processing, rather than to end customers.
Our customers want us to produce these intermediates in a sustainable way. Plus, they expect their products to
pose no risks to health or the environment. WACKER’s policy is to provide high-quality products that can be
manufactured, transported, used and disposed of safely, with minimum environmental impact.
Over the last two years, WACKER has developed diverse products that promote sustainability. Examples are
presented below for the megatrends of energy, urbanization, digitization and rising living standards.
En e rg y
Po l ysi l i co n : En e rg y- G e n e ra ti n g So l a r In sta l l a ti o n s
Polysilicon is a hyperpure material that has been purified by the distillation of trichlorosilane, deposited as rods
and crushed into chunks for further processing. Our customers use it to produce crystalline solar wafers to
make solar modules for installation on roofs, for example.
In 2012, WACKER sold over 38,000 metric tons of hyperpure polysilicon, making it one of the world’s largest
producers. 2012 also saw the official start-up of polysilicon expansion stage 9 at Nünchritz (Germany). To
improve the energy balance of solar cells and lower our costs, we make every effort to reduce energy
consumption in polysilicon production.
The energy payback time – the time taken for a photovoltaic cell to generate the energy used in its production –
has become even shorter. Depending on the geographical location of the solar cells, this payback time now
ranges from 6 months (in the Sahara) to 18 months (in northern Europe). Each metric ton of polysilicon used in
solar modules prevents the emission of 6,000 tons of CO2.
80
Si l i co n e El a sto m e r Pro te cts Ph o to vo l ta i c Mo d u l e s
Our Corporate R&D department developed TECTOSIL ® for
encapsulating photovoltaic modules. Approved by Germany’s
TÜV inspection authority, the film comprises a unique silicone
elastomer that can be thermoformed, making it fast and easy
to process. The film protects solar cells against mechanical
and chemical stress and contains no corrosive components.
The material absorbs hardly any water at all, presents an
effective moisture barrier and stays permanently electrically
insulating. TECTOSIL ®, which showed early market promise in
2011, thus ensures that solar modules are of high quality and
have a long lifetime.
Se l e cte d Pro d u cts – En e rg y
Product
Description
Application
Sector
ELASTOSIL ®
Solar 2200
Transparent, pourable,
non-corrosive silicone
elastomer
Encapsulant for flexible
thin-film modules
Solar industry
TECTOSIL ® 177
Thermoplastic silicone
elastomer
Encapsulant for photovoltaic Solar industry
modules
WACKER ® SILICONE
PASTE P 250 and
P 300
Silicone lubricant pastes,
free of boron-containing
additives
Fitting of cable accessories
Transmission and
distribution (T&D)
industry
POWERSIL ® 570 PLUS Solvent-free silicone coating Coating of electrical
insulators
Transmission and
distribution (T&D)
industry
ELASTOSIL ®
LR 3170/40
Self-adhesive, flameresistant liquid silicone
rubber
LED sockets for flatscreen
monitors, seals in solar
installations, insulation in
electric cars
Automotive,
electronic and solar
industries
VENTOTEC ®
Impact modifier
Rotor blade bonding
Wind turbines
D i spe rsi bl e Po l ym e r Po w d e r fo r Bu i l d i n g In su l a ti o n : En e rg y- Effi ci e n t C o n stru cti o n
VINNAPAS® dispersible polymer powder ensures adhesive
mortar adheres to the walls and the insulation employed in
ETICS/EIFS systems. The dispersible polymer powder boosts
adhesion and impact resistance within the base coat.
Hydrophobizing VINNAPAS® polymer powders, in particular,
ensure that there is no moisture in the top coat.
There is enormous potential for using exterior insulation and
finish systems (EIFS) / external thermal insulation composite
systems (ETICS) to permanently reduce greenhouse-gas
emissions. Heating and air-conditioning account for half of a
building’s energy demand. Inadequately insulated houses
lose a large part of their energy through exterior walls. An
ETICS/EIFS system will cut a building's heating costs by as
much as 50 percent.
Modern ETICS/EIFS for building insulation
consist of a multilayered material composite. But
it takes the addition of a dispersible polymer
powder to create a permanently stable
insulation system.
The German Energy Agency (dena) has calculated the
savings potential that can be achieved using insulation
alone. While over 10,000 kilowatt hours of heating energy
escape through the walls of an uninsulated detached house
each year, this can be reduced to just 2,200 kilowatt hours if the external walls are insulated.
81
Indoor heat escapes through the roof, exterior walls and basement of uninsulated buildings. According to the
German Energy Agency (dena), as much as 80 percent of this heat loss could be prevented by proper
renovation of the building envelope and modern construction technology.
According to Germany’s EIFS/ETICS trade association (Fachverband WDVS ) (German-language link only),
some 840 million square meters of EIFS/ETICS were installed in Germany alone before 2009, which
generated savings of almost 140 billion liters of heating oil or comparable fossil fuels, equivalent to a reduction
of 700 million metric tons of CO2 emissions.
Bl o ck o f Ice D e fi e s th e Su m m e r H e a t
WACKER took part in an unusual bet in Barcelona in the
summer of 2011. A solid block of ice weighing 1 metric ton
was encased in an ETICS/EIFS system. This was then left
outside in the summer heat for two weeks as part of an
energy-efficiency exhibition. Visitors were encouraged to
guess how much ice would be left when the exhibition closed
its doors for the last time.
Summer temperatures in Barcelona can easily hit 35 °C. So,
the question was: how much ice would be left when the
exhibition was over? Guesses ranged from 50 to 1,000
kilograms. Thanks to ETICS/EIFS, the temperature inside the
large packing crate remained at a constant 5 °C throughout
the two weeks, with the result that barely 20 percent of the ice
melted. Around 800 kg of ice survived the Catalonian summer
heat for the two weeks of the exhibition, which ran from July 8
to 21, 2011.
Unveiling the ice block in Barcelona: thanks to
the ETICS/EIFS, 800 kilograms of the original
1,000 kilograms of ice withstood the heat of the
Catalonian summer.
Using a computer simulation, the Institute for Energy Efficiency
(TBZ), an international charitable association for disseminating and promoting sustainable building practices,
demonstrated that, without the ETICS/EIFS, three times as much ice would have melted during the course of
the wager. The Spanish WACKER team thus provided a clear demonstration of the typical efficiency achieved
with ETICS/EIFS in passive houses. These stay cool in summer and warm in winter, without the need for airconditioning systems. That helps to save electricity and to lower CO2 emissions.
82
Se l e cte d Pro d u cts – En e rg y- Effi ci e n t C o n stru cti o n
Product
Description
Application
Sector
VINNAPAS® 5044 N,
VINNAPAS® 5048 H
and
VINNAPAS® 4042 H
Dispersible copolymer
powders based on vinyl
acetate and ethylene,
intended for neutral or
water-repellent applications
in the construction sector
Ideal for use in ETICS/EIFS
Construction industry
SILRES® BS 5137
Aqueous, low-viscosity
silicone fluid emulsion
Impregnation of mineral
wool
Insulation and
construction
industries
U rba n i z a ti o n a n d C o n stru cti o n
D i spe rsi o n s fo r En vi ro n m e n ta l l y So u n d Pa i n ts
VINNAPAS® dispersions are used, among other things, as binders for interior-wall paints. Dispersions made
without APEO-based surfactants (alkylphenol ethoxylates) and containing just minute amounts of volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) prove to be particularly ecofriendly. Keeping the VOC level in interior wall paints
below 1 gram per liter ensures a pleasant, healthy indoor climate.
Si l i co n e R e si n Em u l si o n Pa i n ts: L o n g - L a sti n g Fa ca d e Pro te cti o n
SILRES® BS products based on quartz-like structures protect exterior paints and plasters. The facades stay
attractive for longer and are better insulated, thereby boosting energy efficiency. Silicone resin emulsion paints
(SREPs) are permeable to water vapor and so help to improve the climate indoors.
A coat of high-quality silicone resin emulsion paint reduces heat loss from external walls by as much as 40
percent. Heat is lost faster from wet walls – the role of the silicone resins is to help keep the walls dry. A coating
of SREP decreases heat demand by an average of 4.6 percent. Silicone resin emulsion paints and silicone
resin plasters lengthen the intervals between renovations of facades by up to 25 years. Some listed buildings
cannot be insulated with ETICS/EIFS. In such cases, a silicone resin emulsion paint is one of the few materials
that will improve a building’s energy balance.
D i spe rsi bl e Po l ym e r Po w d e rs fo r Ti l e Ad h e si ve s, Fl o o ri n g a n d In su l a ti o n Syste m s
VINNAPAS® dispersible polymer powders permit the use of insulation boards comprising different materials,
including renewable substances, such as cork and wood-wool. They reduce the amount of material needed in
tile adhesives. These powders can also be used to make construction chemicals that meet valid environmental
standards, such as the EMICODE® emissions standards
set by Germany’s GEV (Association for the Control
of Emissions in Products for Flooring Installation).
83
Se l e cte d Pro d u cts – Eco fri e n d l y C o n stru cti o n
Product
Description
Application
VINNAPAS 5111 L
Dispersible polymer powder
with a very low VOC content
(volatile organic
compounds)
Extremely smooth, selfConstruction industry
leveling flooring compounds
and grouts; certified to
EMICODE® EC1+ and the
Blue Angel eco-label
VINNAPAS® EF8300
Dispersion as a binder
Binder for low-emission
interior paints
VINNOL ® CEN 2752
Dispersion with a high vinyl
chloride and reduced
formaldehyde content
Binder for coating textiles
Textiles and
and nonwovens, particularly nonwovens industry
to obtain flame-resistant
finishes, e.g. in upholstery,
flooring coverings (such as
PVC and needlefelt) and
heat-sealable wadding
materials
GENIOSIL ® XB
Adhesive binder (hybrid
polymer) with no content of
plasticizer, solvent or tin
catalysts
Liquid, solvent-free silicone
resin intermediate
Structural adhesives for
wood, glass, metal and
ceramics
®
GENIOSIL ® W
VINNAPAS® EAF 68
SILRES® IC 368
SILRES® BS
POWDER S
ELASTOSIL ®
Catalyst NEO
Sector
Coatings and
construction
industries
Hybrid polymer-based liquid Waterproofing of surfaces in Construction industry
membrane; is virtually
buildings, such as flat roofs,
odorless and has no
balconies, patios and
labeling requirements under basement walls
German hazardous
substances legislation
(“GefStoffV”)
Binder for floor-covering
Universal binder for floor
Adhesives industry
adhesives without the
coverings, ranging from
addition of alkylphenol
hard-to-bond floor coverings
ethoxylates (APEOs)
such as linoleum or
polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to
easy-to-handle carpeting
Adhesives and
sealants industries,
construction
Enhances properties of
Paint and coatings
industrial coatings for wood, industry
metal and sheet-metal strips
Highly efficient, waterGreatly reduced water
soluble hydrophobic additive uptake in gypsum
applications
Tin-free catalyst for two-part, Moldmaking and
room-temperature-curing
encapsulation
silicone rubber grades
Building materials,
construction industry
Artesanal
manufacturing
workshops, mold
collections, restorers,
institutes
84
N e w Pro d u ct In n o va ti o n Aw a rd fo r G EN IOSIL ®
WACKER received Frost & Sullivan’s 2011 New Product
Innovation Award in the Construction category for its
GENIOSIL ® product class. The alpha-silane technology in
GENIOSIL ® products allows the production of powerful
adhesives and sealants free of plasticizers and solvents, such
as joint and cabinet sealants and assembly adhesives.
GENIOSIL ® is also used in automotive and container
construction, as well as to bond wood (parquet) flooring.
C o m po si te s fro m R e cycl e d Ma te ri a l
WACKER offers novel composites for indoor use called natural fiber composites (NFCs). These enable the
production of innovative floor and wall coverings made of natural fibers such as cork, leather, wood and slate.
Not only that, but scrap can be used as well.
The floorings based on natural cork, Indian slate and VINNEX® binder feature a millimeter-thin, slate-sheet
surface whose reverse side is a thin and warming cork layer to balance out unevenness in the stone.
Moreover, the insulating cork fibers dampen the sound of footsteps. The stone surface is fireproof, very stable
and hard-wearing, making it suitable for entrances, lobbies (e.g. hotels) and areas around hearths, stoves and
open fireplaces.
Plus, VINNEX® powder binders can be used to treat leather-processing scraps and convert them into workable
materials. The recycled leather can serve in the manufacture, for example, of durable floor tiles. To this end, the
cutting waste from the leather industry is compressed to pellets and processed with VINNEX® to yield leather
sheeting. Applications include furniture and wall coverings, flooring, as well as panels used in car interiors (for
side trims or center consoles, for instance).
These new materials help to conserve resources and to use raw materials efficiently. This innovation earned
WACKER, along with its partner BADER GmbH & Co. KG, the 2011 MATERIALICA Design + Technology
Award in the CO2 Efficiency category.
D i g i ti z a ti o n
Wafers are cut from a silicon ingot. They are then used to produce chips for electronic devices. Sensors, power
devices, microcontrollers and other electronic chips make sure that modern electric appliances and hybrid and
electric vehicles are safe and economical.
The efficiency of semiconductor devices doubles about every two years. Among the key performance-boosting
parameters are the design rules achieved on a silicon wafer. They determine how many transistors fit on a
device per square centimeter.
Today, the semiconductor industry’s standard design rules are 32 and 22 nanometers (nm). In the coming
years, they will decrease to 16 and eventually 11 nm. We are developing processes to produce 300 mm wafers
that are used for 16 and 11 nanometer design rules. The first 16 nm products are in customer approval
processes. We have evaluated the technology for 11 nm wafers and produced the first experimental products.
85
R i si n g L i vi n g Sta n d a rd s
When devising our strategic goals, we take our cue from global megatrends – including rising living standards,
particularly in emerging markets. We intend to keep up with these trends by offering products which we make in
energy- and resource-efficient processes. For example, with silicones for construction, for textiles, electronics
and medical technology. With polymers for the paper and packaging industries, for example. And with
cyclodextrins for the food and agricultural sectors. To this end, we launched new products made with
sustainable ingredients in the period under review. A selection of these is given below.
Se l e cte d Pro d u cts – Si l i co n e s
Product
Description
Application
Sector
ELASTOSIL N 9111
Tin-free, general-purpose
adhesive and sealant
Bonding, sealing and
coating of ceramic hobs,
electric-cooker screens and
control elements, and
microwave-oven windows
Householdappliance, automotive
and electronics
industries
ELASTOSIL ® LR
3011/50 FR
Flame-retardant liquid
silicone rubber
LED sockets for flatscreen
monitors, seals in solar
installations, insulation in
electric cars
Automotive,
electronic and solar
industries
Textile coatings, with good
adhesive and non-slip
properties; compatible with
Öko-Tex® Standard 100
Dispensing valves for food
technology
Textile industry
®
ELASTOSIL ® E 91 and Tin-free, condensationELASTOSIL ® E 92 N
curing silicone rubber grade
ELASTOSIL ® LR 3066
Food-grade liquid silicone
rubber with low surface
friction
SILPURAN ® UR
High-purity specialty
silicones
SILPURAN ® 4200
Biocompatible silicone
adhesive
Long-term medical
Medical technology
applications, such as port
catheters, voice prostheses,
gastric bands, pacemakers,
and disk, joint and hearing
implants
Adhesive and sealant for
Medical technology
medical applications
SILPURAN ® 6610/40
Biocompatible, radiationresistant liquid silicone
rubber
Radiation-sterilizable
silicone valves for medical
devices
Medical technology
Description
Application
Sector
VINNAPAS EP 8010
Vinyl acetate-ethylene
(VAE) copolymer dispersion
Water-based adhesives for
paper products and
packaging; enable
plasticizer-free paper and
packaging adhesives that
comply with EU regulations
on food-contact materials
Packaging and
adhesives industries
VINNOL ® H 30/48 M
Surface-coating resin with
excellent solubility in pure
ester without the addition of
ketones
Industrial coatings,
packaging industry
VINNOL ® H 5/50
Polymer with elastic
properties
For packaging required by
thermosensitive
pharmaceuticals and
foodstuffs, such as cheese
and yoghurt
Binder for formulating
without plasticizers; e.g. for
printing inks in sterilizable
food packaging
Food and packaging
industries
Se l e cte d Pro d u cts – Po l ym e rs
Product
®
Industrial coatings,
packaging industry
86
Se l e cte d Pro d u cts – C ycl o d e xtri n s
Product
Description
Application
Sector
CAVAMAX® W6
Alpha-Cyclodextrin as a
purely plant-based,
bioengineered emulsifier for
stabilizing oil-in-water
emulsions for the food
industry
Emulsifier for foods, such as Food industry
salad dressings,
mayonnaises, cream-based
desserts, and margarine
CAVAMAX® W6
Alpha-Cyclodextrin as
water-soluble fiber
Fiber for beverages and
foods, such as dairy
products, bakery products
and cereals
Food and beverage
industries
87
Workplace, Plant and
Transport Safety
Managing plants and processes in a way that poses no
risk to people or the environment is an important objective
at WACKER. That is why we operate a groupwide safety
management system that covers both workplace safety
and plant safety.
Workplace, Plant and T ransport Saf et y
Wo rk p l a c e ,P l a n ta n d T ra n s p o rtS a fe ty
Prevention
Wo rkpl a ce Acci d e n ts 1 In vo l vi n g Pe rm a n e n t Sta ff a n d Te m po ra ry Wo rke rs
1
Accidents leading to at leas t one day off work
Managing plants and processes in a way that poses no risk to people or the environment is an important
objective at WACKER. We therefore operate a groupwide safety management system that covers both
workplace safety and plant safety. Our processes and workplace safety standards will be aligned with
international standard OHSAS 18001 by 2015. Good workplace safety practice requires regular risk
assessments and workplace monitoring.
R i sk Ma n a g e m e n t
The first step in ensuring plant safety is to identify the risks systematically and then assess them. This includes
analyzing how well we control the energy (e.g. pressure, heat) existing in a process and determining what
influence an individual fault might have on a chain of events leading up to a failure or accident. On completion
of this comprehensive analysis, we specify safety measures that will prevent undesirable incidents.
Our “ANSIKO” plant safety project on dust-explosion protection was completed in 2011. In this project, we
reviewed all the Group’s safety plans for facilities with a dust-explosion risk. The recommended improvements
were then implemented. A follow-up “ANSIKO” project on machine safety was launched in the reporting period.
Its goal is to identify machinery that poses a risk of injury, review safety plans for such machinery and, where
needed, recommend additional measures to protect employees. The project was introduced to German plants
in 2012 and has been extended to non-German production sites since mid-2013.
The expansion of polysilicon production at Nünchritz involved a corresponding upgrade of the site’s
emergency-response procedures. Now, should an emergency occur, detectors will quickly recognize releases
of hazardous gases, sirens and loudspeaker broadcasts will warn local residents, and signaling will divert
traffic away from all roads in the vicinity. The plant fire department has been strengthened with new full-time
firefighters and additional equipment (including a new, ultramodern turbo-extinguisher). The future WACKER
site in Charleston, Tennessee, will be subject to the same safety standards that govern the Group’s other sites,
including emergency-response procedures. For this reason, a new turbo-extinguisher has been acquired for
this site, too.
Sa fe ty Tra i n i n g & Em pl o ye e Mo ti va ti o n
WACKER is a firm believer in providing ongoing training for its safety experts, and holds regular training
sessions, for example, on plant safety and explosion protection. Safety training at WACKER sites outside
Germany is organized by specialists from the Group. In 2011, experts from all Asian production sites met in
China to share information and attend training sessions. We also conducted safety audits at our sites in South
Korea and China. A year later, the safety experts from all production sites met in Burghausen, Germany. We
formed a committee (the “Expert Committee on Plant and Process Safety”) to organize advanced training in
site and process safety issues. We conducted health and safety audits at production sites in Japan, Norway and
the USA in 2012.
89
But it is not only our safety experts who regularly go on
courses. All our employees are given safety training specific
to their individual workplace, e.g. in the form of e-learning
courses. WACKER Germany, for example, offers 43 online
training courses on workplace safety. Topics range from
general safety guidelines for office and laboratory workers to
instruction on working with respirators and hazardous
materials. Each instruction module contains tests that enable
participants to assess their progress. In China, WACKER
held a safety day at all its sites, the first event of its kind
there. During the event, three-fourths of the targeted
employees participated in training sessions, presentations
and plant inspections.
Once a year, the plant fire departments at our
largest sites carry out emergency drills, during
which state-of-the-art turbo-extinguishers are
used.
WACKER also has a great interest in ensuring that
employees travel safely between their home and workplace.
It organized a traffic-safety day for HQ employees in 2011
when they had an opportunity to expand their road-safety knowledge and try out their road-safety skills.
In 2012, the groupwide accident rate (number of workplace accidents with missed work days per 1 million
hours worked) was 4.7. The corresponding figure in 2011 was 3.9. This result puts us behind those chemical
companies that lead the way in occupational safety. In 2011 and 2012, for example, Bayer, BASF, Dow, Evonik
and Henkel collectively had an average of 1.2 workplace accidents with missed workdays per 1 million hours
worked. However, in terms of reportable accidents (accidents with more than three missed workdays),
WACKER’s numbers are far better than the German chemical industry average. The reportable accident rate in
2012 was 2.1 per 1 million hours worked, while the chemical sector within Germany’s BG RCI (the statutory
employer liability insurance carrier of the basic materials and chemical industries) registered 9.5 such
accidents in chemical companies.
During the reporting period, there was not a single fatal workplace accident among WACKER employees.
Unfortunately, however, one did occur at a partner company. At our Charleston site (Tennessee, USA), two
construction workers in the process of laying concrete were caught by loose formwork and fell to their deaths.
Construction at the site was temporarily suspended while a detailed investigation took place, as a result of
which the partner company tightened up its safety precautions.
Very few of the accidents at our sites are chemical in nature. The most common causes are tripping, slipping,
falling, and inattentiveness during manual activities. Not satisfied with our accident rate, we are redoubling our
occupational-safety efforts. We are systematically implementing our new safety program – WACKER Safety
Plus (WSP), which incorporates successful safety elements from sites that have particularly low accident rates.
Such elements include safety patrols, discussions with the workforce and emergency drills. WACKER Safety
Plus has the goal of recognizing and avoiding unsafe behavior – on the way to and from work, in the office, at
the plant, in the operation of machinery, or in the handling of chemicals. We organized WSP seminars for
executives at all of our German production sites in 2012. These were attended by 850 executives.
Wo rkpl a ce Acci d e n ts In vo l vi n g Pe rm a n e n t Sta ff a n d Te m po ra ry Wo rke rs
2012
2011
2010
4 .7
3 .9
4.3
Accident rate in Europe
5 .3
4 .9
5.1
Accident rate in the Americas
4 .3
1 .7
2.8
1 .2
0 .6
0.8
2 .1
1 .4
1.2
−
−
–
Accident rate across Group: accidents
per 1 million hours worked
1
Accident rate in Asia
Accident rate across Group: reportable accidents2
per 1 million hours worked
Fatal workplace accidents
1
2
Accidents leading to at leas t one day off work
Accidents leading to over three days off work
90
Pra cti ce d Sa fe ty
Low accident figures are a reflection of safety-conscious conduct. At WACKER, we give special recognition to
facilities that operate for sustained periods of time without a reportable accident. Some of these have also been
honored by institutions outside the company.
The WACKER POLYMERS site in Calvert City (US state of Kentucky) received an impressive two awards in
2011 for its high safety standards and many years of accident-free operations. The first was the Governor’s
Safety and Health Award, which honors employers and employees who meet a required number of hours
without workplace injuries serious enough to cause an employee to miss work. The second was the ACA
Safety Award, won for the third year in a row, and presented by the American Coatings Association (ACA). The
ACA Safety Award recognizes the commitment of those of its members who had no lost days to report due to
workplace accidents.
2 0 Ye a rs w i th o u t a n Acci d e n t – Th a n ks to C l e a n l i n e ss a n d Ti d i n e ss
In 2011, the 34 employees at the Burghausen methanolysis plant celebrated 20 years without an accident.
There have been no reportable accidents at the plant, which hosts some key processes in WACKER
SILICONES’ base chemicals operations, since November 1991. The substances processed or arising in the
plant, including methylchlorosilanes and hydrogen chloride, are potentially highly dangerous and corrosive.
“Cleanliness and tidiness in the workplace are a matter of course for us,” explained facility head Stephan
Beutlhauser. Regular training courses are also held to increase safety awareness and sharpen the employeesʼ
vision, hearing and smell.
91
Sa fe ty Aw a rd s 2 0 1 1 /2 0 1 2
Award
Recipient
Sponsor
Recognition Award 2012
WACKER POLYMERS,
Ulsan site
Ulsan City Administration/Korea
Gas Safety Corporation
Safety Award 2011
WACKER POLYMERS,
Ulsan site
South Korean Ministry of Labor &
Korea Occupational Safety and
Health Agency (KOSHA)
Governor’s Safety and Health
Award 2012
WACKER POLYMERS,
Calvert City site
Governor of the US state of
Kentucky
Governor’s Safety and Health
Award 2011
WACKER POLYMERS,
Calvert City site
Governor of the US state of
Kentucky
ACA Safety Award 2011
Group Award 2011
WACKER POLYMERS,
Calvert City site
SILMIX® Ohio
American Coatings Association
(ACA)
Ohio Bureau of Workers’
Compensation
100 % Award 2011
SILMIX® Ohio
Ohio Bureau of Workers’
Compensation
Tra n spo rt Sa fe ty
WACKER ensures that its products are safely stored and transported. Before loading vehicles, we carry out
stringent checks on them, especially if they are carrying hazardous goods. In 2012, we inspected more than
6,600 trucks at our German sites (2011: more than 6,000). If a vehicle fails inspection, we continue sending it
back until it passes. The failure rate has been low for years now. In 2012, the figure for transporting hazardous
goods in Germany was 2.2 percent (2011: 3.6 percent). WACKER audits hazardous goods shippers at least
every two years.
We believe that well-trained personnel are an important element of transport safety. In each of 2011 and 2012,
we instructed over 1,000 employees throughout the Group in classroom seminars on activities relating to the
handling of hazardous goods. Some 1,500 completed at least one of the online training courses on offer.
Aside from the mandatory monitoring of hazardous-goods shipments, WACKER also tracks the transport of
non-hazardous goods. WACKER safety standards are often higher than the minimum legal requirements on
the shipping of hazardous materials. Whenever possible, these goods are preferentially shipped to customers
by rail rather than by truck, using special safety rail tankers or shipping containers that meet the strictest safety
standards.
We regularly review aspects of transport safety with our logistics providers, e.g. during the annual Logistics Day.
If deficiencies are found, we agree on improvements and then monitor their implementation. WACKER uses
in-house criteria and internationally recognized systems, such as the Safety and Quality Assessment System
(SQAS ) operated by the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC), to select logistics service providers
and evaluate their performance. Our evaluation criteria include drivers’ qualifications and training, vehicle
equipment and accident response. By stipulating observance of standards and specifications, WACKER
ensures that even the subcontractors working for our logistics providers meet our high safety requirements.
We recorded a total of 18 transport incidents in 2011 and 2012. This number includes not only accidents and
incidents involving the distribution of our intermediates and products where we commissioned the transport, but
also incidents that do not involve hazardous goods, as well as those that do not adversely impact on people or
the environment. These incidents, too, form part of our shipper assessments.
92
Tra n spo rt Acci d e n ts
Number of Accidents
2012
2011
2010
Road
8
6
4
Rail
2
1
1
Sea
–
1
–
Inland waterways
–
–
–
Air
–
–
–
Incident Management
Our safety management focuses on prevention. However, safety-critical events cannot always be avoided. For
this reason, we operate a communication system known as CLICS (Closed Loop Incident Communication
System), which helps us record real-time data on incidents anywhere in the company that are relevant to the
environment, health and safety. The safety experts on site document such incidents on report forms, which they
forward to a central email address. Once they have been assessed and action has been taken, these reports
are then forwarded to other corporate entities with similar risk levels, so that they can benefit from any insights
provided by the incidents.
Every WACKER site has its emergency response plan detailing cooperation between internal and external
emergency response teams, and with the authorities. Once a year, the plant fire departments in Burghausen
and Nünchritz conduct emergency drills coordinated with the local fire and emergency services. These drills
provide a practical opportunity to rehearse a large-scale emergency response. Afterward, the exercise is
analyzed to identify and eliminate any weak points.
Not only do WACKER’s plant fire departments train fire departments from the local area – they also invite the
fire departments of other companies and municipalities to WACKER sites, where they can plan their response
to accidents involving hazardous goods.
In 2012, the communications officers at the German production sites attended an emergency-response
training course. Various scenarios, such as the escape of a substance from production, were played out during
a workshop lasting several days to give the attendees a chance to practice their communications in emergency
situations.
TU IS: Acci d e n t Assi sta n ce
The German chemical industry established its Transport Accident Information and Emergency Response
System (TUIS) in 1982 to provide assistance in the event of chemical accidents. WACKER was involved in this
network right from the start. Today, TUIS comprises some 130 chemical companies, along with their plant fire
departments and specialists (chemists, toxicologists, production experts, etc.). Public services, such as fire
departments, police and disaster control agencies, can contact TUIS for telephone consultation services or
request specialized equipment or assistance from experts. TUIS is part of the German chemical industry’s
contribution to the Responsible Care ® initiative. WACKER’s TUIS experts can be called on to assist with
accidents involving our products anywhere in the world.
WAC KER Fi re fi g h te rs’ Acti vi ti e s fo r TU IS
2012
2011
26
21
31
2
3
5
Sta g e 3 Technical assistance at accident scene
11
2
7
To ta l
39
26
43
Sta g e 1 Expert advice by phone
Sta g e 2 Expert advice at accident scene
2010
93
Accidents and Incidents
No matter how many preventive measures are taken, accidents and environmentally relevant incidents can
never be completely ruled out. At WACKER, we make sure we learn from such events to prevent their
recurrence.
Since 2011, we have used the criteria of the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC ) to assess safety
and environmentally relevant events (see diagram). These include substance spills, fires and explosions, as
well as events that have no adverse impact on people or the environment, e.g. if all of a spilled substance was
contained by the catch basin or the sewer system and was eliminated by in-plant wastewater treatment
facilities.
In 2012, we recorded 29 CEFIC-rated safety and environmentally relevant events throughout the Group (2011:
20). There was one particularly relevant event in the reporting period. On May 11, 2012, a chlorosilane mixture
leaked from a flange in the piping network at the Burghausen site. The plant fire department used water mist to
damp down the cloud of hydrochloric acid gas. Measurements immediately afterward failed to reveal any
impact outside the site.
Also in the reporting period, seven events drew complaints from neighbors or led to a notice issuing from the
authorities, yet were not CEFIC-rated.
Eva l u a ti o n o f Eve n ts Acco rd i n g to C EFIC C ri te ri a
1
Globally Harmoniz ed Sys tem of Clas s ification and Labeling of Chemicals
94
Employees
WACKER’s economic success is chiefly due to its dedicated employees. We create the right conditions for every
employee to develop their abilities to the full. What is
more, our training and advancement programs help employees with each qualification and career step.
Employees
E mp l o y e e s
Headcount Trend
WACKER’s headcount rose in 2011 by 854 employees (5.2 percent). In 2012, the workforce decreased by 876
employees (5.1 percent). At the 2011 reporting date (December 31), WACKER had 17,168 employees
worldwide, and 16,292 a year later.
The increase in 2011 was primarily due to WACKER POLYSILICON’s expansion projects at Nünchritz
(Germany) and Charleston (Tennessee, USA), and WACKER SILICONES’ expansions at Zhangjiagang
(China), Jincheon (South Korea) and Holla (Norway).
In 2012, restructuring measures at Siltronic led to a decrease in the number of employees. This business
division closed the Japanese production site in Hikari at the end of May 2012 – approximately 500 employees
were affected. Siltronic supported these employees in their search for new jobs. Through its efforts, 413 of these
employees were able to find new positions with other companies by the end of 2012. Siltronic closed down its
150 millimeter wafer production line at Portland in the third quarter of 2012. The result was a loss of some 350
jobs. As part of a redundancy plan, the affected personnel received severance packages.
Siltronic is also adapting 150 millimeter wafer production at Burghausen (Germany) to permanently low
demand levels. In combination with additional productivity measures, this will result in the elimination of about
150 jobs at the site by the end of 2013, with 70 of these having already been cut by December 31, 2012. These
positions will be eliminated without layoffs, through job offers at the Group’s other units and through natural staff
turnover. Fixed-term employment contracts were not extended beyond January 2013.
As previously announced, pyrogenic-silica production at the former site in Kempten was closed down in the
third quarter of 2011. Production volumes were transferred to existing facilities at Burghausen and Nünchritz.
This structural measure affected 43 employees. WACKER’s redundancy plan did not include any layoffs. We
offered all employees jobs at other sites, and just under half accepted. Some employees went into phased early
retirement or signed a termination agreement and accepted a new job in the local area.
Most employees (a little over three quarters) are based in Germany, and nearly a quarter abroad. While the
number of permanent contracts in the period under review went up slightly, the number of fixed-term contracts
fell. More than 97 percent of WACKER employees groupwide now have permanent contracts.
J o bs
2012
2011
2010
G ro u p
1 6 ,2 9 2
1 7 ,1 6 8
16,314
Germany
1 2 ,6 3 5
1 2 ,8 1 3
12,235
3 ,6 5 7
4 ,3 5 5
4,079
2 2 .4
2 5 .4
25.0
683
1 ,2 3 8
1,142
4 .2
7 .2
7.0
2012
2011
2010
International (excluding Germany)
Percentage outside Germany
New hires, groupwide
Percentage new hires, groupwide
Pe rm a n e n t a n d Fi xe d - Te rm Em pl o ye e s
G ro u p
Permanent employees
1 5 ,8 6 7
1 6 ,6 0 3
15,665
Fixed-term employees
425
565
649
1 6 ,2 9 2
1 7 ,1 6 8
16,314
To ta l
96
Employees
Siltronic introduced short-time work in November 2011 due to lower capacity utilization. In December 2011,
782 employees were on a short-time work schedule. In October 2012, WACKER POLYSILICON, too,
introduced short-time work. The reason for this measure was the temporarily steep decline in demand for
polysilicon from solar-industry customers. In December 2012, 662 employees were on a short-time work
schedule. Two months later, in February 2013, short-time work in polysilicon production ended as demand had
once again increased.
The company follows a flexible personnel-planning strategy in order to deal with production peaks and
economic downturns, while at the same time protecting the permanent staff. If we must save on personnel
costs, we at first reduce the number of temporary workers. The next phase involves not renewing fixed-term
contracts. The third step is to consider introducing short-time work in those business divisions most affected by
a downturn. All of these measures are decided in close consultation with employee representatives.
Te m po ra ry Wo rke rs (a s o f D e c. 3 1 R e po rti n g D a te )
2012
2011
2010
91
113
488
Of which Germany
14
48
374
Of which international (excluding Germany)
77
65
114
0 .6
0 .7
3.0
Percentage temporary workers, Germany
0 .1
0 .4
3.1
Percentage temporary workers, outside Germany
2 .1
1 .5
2.8
G ro u p
1
Pe rce n ta g e te m po ra ry w o rke rs, g ro u pw i d e
1
Ratio of temporary workers to employees groupwide
WACKER regularly informs its employees regarding current trends within and outside of the Group that could
affect business development. Employees receive up-to-date and comprehensive information on material
changes in operations. The respective national and international duties of disclosure are hereby observed.
Personnel Development
Motivated and well-qualified employees provide the basis for WACKER’s success. We offer our employees an
optimal foundation for exploiting their potential and continuing to develop their skills – beginning with vocational
training all the way to a variety of advanced training options. There are training and incentives programs
available for each qualification and career move.
We reorganized Human Resources and reallocated responsibilities in 2011. The new organization centers on
two main components. The first is HR support for business divisions and corporate departments. The second
one involves functions relating to services and expertise. The latter includes personnel and social policies,
personnel development, compensation systems and payroll accounting, groupwide talent management and
the establishment of strategic HR planning. These tasks are now consolidated across the entire Group, and
cover Siltronic, which previously handled such issues within its own organization.
We established a Corporate HR Marketing department as part of the reorganization. It is tasked with developing
a specific employer brand for WACKER. This brand will give us a fresh face on the labor market and make us
even more attractive to future employees, above all from engineering and the natural sciences. Nearly 60
percent of the college graduates at WACKER are engineers.
In 2011, we surveyed our employees about WACKER's employer characteristics. We then used the results to
create our current employer profile.
97
Employees
Vocational Training
Vocational training has always been a mainstay of personnel development at WACKER. Training takes place at
the Burghausen, Nünchritz, Freiberg and Munich sites in Germany.
The principal facility is the Burghausen Vocational Training Center (BBiW), which was established by WACKER.
The BBiW offers not only initial/advanced vocational training and retraining to young people, but also courses
for experienced staff. Well known beyond the local area, the center believes that its responsibility extends to
providing training to non-WACKER staff from some 20 partner companies. In 2012, 56 trainees from these
companies thus started courses at the BBiW (2011: 59).
BBiW courses cover 16 vocations and five work/study programs to bachelor degree level. The main focus is on
the scientific and technical jobs typically encountered in the chemical, electrical and metalworking sectors. In
2012, 205 young people started training at WACKER or the BBiW (2011: 202). In total, the company employed
657 trainees, roughly the same as a year earlier (2011: 655) – with 555 (2011: 560) in scientific and technical
disciplines and 102 (2011: 95) in business administration. After graduating, they have a good chance of finding
employment. We offered permanent jobs to most of our suitable and interested trainees. In 2012, a total of 174
graduates were offered jobs at WACKER (2011: 178).
At 4.9 percent, the percentage of trainees (number of trainees to Group employees in Germany) was at the
previous year’s high level (2011: 4.9 percent). The BBiW’s vocational training is complemented by work/study
programs to bachelor level: business IT, engineering management, business administration, electrical
engineering and process engineering. In these courses, study at a vocational education institute alternates with
quarterly practical phases. For these courses of study, WACKER collaborates with the universities of Mannheim
and Heidenheim, which specialize in work/study programs. In autumn 2011, the first electrical engineering
majors were awarded their bachelor degrees.
The BBiW’s high quality of training is evidenced by all the awards won by trainees. In 2011, a WACKER trainee
won a German electronics competition. A chemical lab technician and a chemical technician completed their
final examinations as the best trainees in their field in Bavaria. In 2012, WACKER trainees Michael
Hinteraicher and Michael Langer took the first and second prizes at the German WorldSkills Competition, in
the categories of electrical installation and electrical equipment. They thus qualified for the international
WorldSkills Competition.
Sa xo n y’ s Be st C h e m i ca l Te ch n i ci a n C o m e s fro m WAC KER
Vincent Lehmann insists that he is not a nerd – his grade point
average in his German school-leaving certificate (“Abitur”)
was just a middling 2.9. In the chemical technician exam,
however, he achieved the best result, with 95 out of 100
possible points. Looking back, Lehmann felt he could have
gotten even more points if he had studied more.
The 23-year-old mainly attributes his excellent result to the
fact that chemistry in general, and his training, in particular, are
simply great fun. He said he didn’t know if he has the
“chemistry gene,” but commented that “My grandfather taught
natural sciences. Maybe that’s where I get my interest.” His
grandparents live only 200 meters away from the Nünchritz
plant and had always hoped that Vincent would enter the
vocational training program there. When they heard that he
had even become Saxony’s best chemical technician, they
were moved to tears.
Vincent Lehmann has definite goals for his future career: “I have started the Bachelor’s program in process
engineering, and would like to work as a plant support engineer.”
98
Employees
Tra i n e e s
2012
2011
2010
Number of new trainees
205
202
196
Number of all trainees (all phases)
657
655
682
174
178
133
2
13
18
4 .9
4 .9
5.3
Thereof hired by WACKER on completion of training
Total number of employees in retraining
Trainees/retrainees as a percentage of total WACKER
Germany employees
In 2011, WACKER entered into a partnership with Chattanooga State Community College, near our new
polysilicon site in Charleston, Tennessee. The WACKER INSTITUTE was set up directly on the college campus
and offers vocational training in four disciplines: mechanical systems technicians, electronics and
instrumentation systems technicians, process technicians (chemical operators), and chemical laboratory
technicians. WACKER has donated $3 million to support the certified, practice-oriented training at the
WACKER INSTITUTE. Its graduates are given preference for jobs at the new site. When polysilicon production
starts on schedule in mid-2015, we plan to take on approximately 500 new production employees, every one of
them with an excellent educational background.
University graduates can join WACKER’s 18-month General Management Trainee Program (GTP). The
program has an excellent reputation. This is also evidenced by the high number of qualified applicants. In both
2011 and 2012, four university graduates participated in the program. WACKER launched this trainee program
back in 1997; since then, 75 graduates have completed management training. After an orientation phase, the
trainees work for three to six months on various projects that often involve periods spent abroad.
Together with some 20 other German companies, WACKER
received a seal of approval for its management trainee
program from ABSOLVENTA (an online job board).
Specializing in placing young university graduates, this
internet portal recognizes companies which operate
particularly fair and well-organized trainee programs. The
evaluation included such aspects as whether compensation
is appropriate, whether the trainees have spent periods
abroad, and whether the program forms part of a targeted
executive development strategy.
Advanced Training
N u m be r o f Tra i n i n g - C o u rse Pa rti ci pa n ts
99
Employees
WACKER offers advanced training to all employees. After all, we need skilled workers if WACKER is to remain
innovative and competitive. Personnel development at WACKER both seeks to cultivate employees’ strengths
and targets specific groups. We encourage our employees to never stop the learning process and to remain
open to change – also with a view to the reality of adjusting to a longer work-life.
At least once a year, annual performance reviews afford employees and supervisors the chance to agree on
development measures. This approach applies to all hierarchy levels. In 2011, more than 14,000 places at
seminars, advanced training courses and conferences were filled; the 2012 figure rose to more than 15,500.
Additionally, approximately 100,000 e-learning courses were held in 2011, and 95,000 courses in 2012.
Employees in Germany can select advanced training courses from the wide range on offer under the
WACKER training program. The program categories are Technical Skills, Management Skills, Social Skills and
Personal Skills. Individual jobs determine whether participation in certain seminars is obligatory. For example,
laboratory heads must attend a seminar tailored to their specific tasks and responsibilities. Prospective
engineering managers and production/operations managers attend a course preparing them for their new role.
Employees also have access to a variety of (advanced) training courses at WACKER’s international sites. For
example, some 1,200 participants completed 2,900 training days at WACKER Greater China in 2012 (2011:
1,100 participants and 2,070 training days).
WACKER assists strategically important employee groups with development programs tailored to their needs.
For example, we started the Grow Sales Performance Program for sales managers in 2011. Participants are
analyzed with respect to their sales skills and are assisted in developing them.
WACKER invested €7.4 million in personnel development and advanced training in 2011, and €7.0 million in
2012.
Ad va n ce d Tra i n i n g 1
Number of Training Hours per Employee
Standard-payscale employees
Above-standard-payscale employees
1
2
2
2012
2011
2010
1 3 .2
1 5 .1
12.7
2 7 .4
2 8 .5
23.7
Excludes production-s pecific training. Includes internal and external s eminars and advanced training cours es . Figures
apply to WACKER Germany.
Third-level management (FK3) and executive pers onnel (OFK).
Managerial Staff
Another focus of our personnel-development activities is on identifying and preparing young management
potential. What is more, we continually develop the skills of our current managerial staff. We implement a
uniform process that encompasses all leadership levels – standard and above-standard-payscale employees,
as well as executive personnel. This process includes three phases: First of all, a basic development tool is the
annual performance review. This gives employees the opportunity to learn how achievements in the past fiscal
year have been assessed, and to define development measures together with their supervisors. Secondly,
employee achievements and potential are measured in the mid- and long-term, and, thirdly, compared with
groupwide successor planning.
We use a wide range of instruments in selecting and developing managerial staff. This ranges from companyspecific, internal group programs, to individual measures, for example coaching or team development, all the
way to outside advanced-training courses.
100
Employees
Se l e cti n g Ma n a g e ri a l Sta ff
Whenever possible and suitable, we use various diagnostic techniques to determine the capabilities an
employee already possesses and to identify those which can be developed to enable that individual to assume
a leadership role. These techniques determine the strengths and potential of the employee, who then receives
individualized assistance. For example, standard-payscale employees who are recommended for or apply for
a position as shift leader or certified industrial foreperson can attend a Potential Analysis Workshop. Abovestandard-payscale employees with an outstanding track record are invited to take part in a Management
Development Center. Executive-level (“OFK”) candidates take part in this procedure, as well.
Exe cu ti ve D e ve l o pm e n t
Executives are not necessarily born leaders. They must systematically and continually work on their skills, in
order to meet the large variety of challenges presented to them. We therefore offer our employees
comprehensive programs adapted to the needs of the respective target group. This includes the First-Level
Management seminar for employees that have assumed management tasks for the first time, and the
Advanced Management seminar for experienced managers.
The programs are set up as modules, and cover the most important areas of expertise: leadership,
communication, personality and an entrepreneurial mindset. Each module explores management from a
different perspective.
There are two other executive-development programs available for WACKER employees who have been
recommended for them: the Focus Program for above-standard-payscale employees with executive potential,
and the OFK Management Circle for recently appointed executives. Participants in these one-year programs
learn self-development and management skills. Both programs are available to participants from all over the
world. In 2011, 13 above-standard-payscale employees completed the 2010/2011 round of the Focus
Program. The OFK Management Circle during 2011/2012 had 11 participants. The 2012/2013 session began
with 12 participants from seven countries.
WACKER encourages internal networks for specialists and managerial staff. These networks promote
knowledge transfer and exchange of information across departmental boundaries. Examples include the “NeuWackerianer” network for new employees and a network for young female managerial staff who have taken
part in a Munich-based cross-mentoring program. WACKER has participated in this program since 2005. Our
goal is to help prepare women with management potential for leadership positions, with the aim of increasing
the number of women in top management. This 12-month program involves an experienced manager acting
as mentor to a female mentee at another company. Three young female managers took part in the 2011
program, and the same number again in 2012. WACKER’s OFK executives acted as mentors to other
companies’ female employees. Since the program began, a total of 25 young female managers have taken
part in the cross-mentoring program.
WACKER subsidiary Siltronic continued its leadership program in 2011 for its approximately 600 managerial
staff in Germany. The seminars were held under the motto “Vertrauensvolle Zusammenarbeit” (Working
Together as Partners). All upper and middle managers as well as standard-payscale managerial staff were
given the opportunity to expand their leadership skills and exchange information on Siltronic-specific topics.
The Siltronic Executive Board was involved in the dialogue. Managerial staff discussed current challenges with
top executives and developed guidelines for the future.
All WACKER’s managerial staff, whatever their level, receive feedback on their management style when they
hold annual performance reviews with their employees.
101
Employees
Target Group
Exe cu ti ve Pe rso n n e l
Diagnostic Techniques
Personnel
Development Day
Training and Development
General Management
Program
OFK1 Management
Circle
Abo ve - sta n d a rd pa ysca l e e m pl o ye e s
Personalized OFK1
Candidate
Development Center
Management
Development Center
Focus Program
Cross-Mentoring
Program
Siltronic International
Circle
Siltronic Graduate
Program
Siltronic Promotion
Candidate Training
Advanced Management
Program
Sta n d a rd - pa ysca l e
e m pl o ye e s
Siltronic Leadership
Potential Workshop
First Level Management
Program
Potential Analysis
Workshop
Appl i ca bl e to a l l
ta rg e t g ro u ps
Vocational training program, tailored measures,
on-the-job training
Coaching
Siltronic Leadership Process
Successor Planning
1
Executive Pers onnel
Demographic Change
WACKER has been addressing demographic change intensively for many years. The average age of the
Group’s workforce in 2012 was 42.0 (permanent staff). Employees at non-German sites are younger (average
age: 40.0) than in Germany (42.6). The average age of executive staff was 52.9. In-house studies have shown
that the percentage of employees over 50 in Germany will double between 2006 and 2017 – from 22 to 44
percent.
The age structure abroad varies greatly from region to region. Staff at Asian sites are comparatively young
(average age: 34.3), while staff at US subsidiaries have an average age of 47.2. Age structure variations are
not exclusive to WACKER. They reflect each continent’s and country’s age structure.
102
Employees
2 0 1 2 D e m o g ra ph i c An a l ysi s o f G e rm a n a n d In te rn a ti o n a l Si te s i n 2 0 1 2
To maintain our long-term innovative and competitive strength and to acquire and retain highly qualified
employees, we have formulated ten strategic goals. These are:
1. Systematically promote health.
2. Create corporate value through esteem for all age groups: introduce sweeping changes in our approach to
aging with the involvement of managers and employees.
3. Expect employees across all age groups to take up offers of vocational training and to show job flexibility,
while providing conditions that encourage them to do so.
4. Secure expertise for the future, and transfer knowledge in a systematic and binding manner.
5. Develop instruments to manage and regulate the transition to retirement.
6. Orientate compensation to levels of performance and expertise.
7. Maintain and enhance WACKER’s attractiveness for employees.
8. Intensify advertising and recruitment efforts aimed at professions critical to WACKER’s success.
9. Pursue forward-looking strategies for in-house vocational training.
10. Act as a corporate citizen by fostering scientific and technological interest in youth at an early age.
To achieve these goals, we have introduced a number of measures – ranging from employee health programs
through to basic and advanced training. These are intended to maintain employees’ job flexibility. We are
putting increased effort into acquiring talented and committed young staff. One example is the “PIng” project (a
personnel-marketing strategy targeting engineers), intended to inform aspiring engineers of career
opportunities at WACKER. It revolves around intensive contacts with universities, e.g. in the form of projectplanning courses, site tours for students, opportunities for internships and providing possible topics for
bachelor’s and master’s degree theses. WACKER also attends job fairs at universities.
WACKER concluded a new agreement with the employee council in 2012. Accordingly, employees will
continue to have the option of entering phased early retirement. This measure is principally aimed at
employees with a restricted range of employment activity and focuses on production sites. It is an important
response to demographic change and provides improved employment perspectives to young employees.
103
Employees
Life & Careers
Equal Opportunity
As a global company, WACKER operates in international markets and multicultural environments. Holding
each employee’s skills and dedication in high regard, we view human diversity as an asset. We oppose
discriminatory or derogative treatment on account of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, ideology, disability,
sexual orientation or age. These principles are valid across the WACKER Group and, as part of our corporate
culture, are embodied in our Code of Teamwork & Leadership, drafted in 2012. Employees may report any
discrimination to their supervisors, as well as to a compliance officer, the employee council or the designated
HR contact person. The complaint will be investigated and the reporting employee will be informed of the
results. We do not keep a log of discrimination cases.
For several years now, we have been requiring all employees at our German sites to familiarize themselves
with Germany’s General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) by completing an e-learning course. This course is
compulsory for all levels of corporate hierarchy, from the Executive Board down to standard-payscale
employees, as well as all new employees.
Special arrangements are in place to help and promote WACKER employees who are disabled or suffer from
long-term occupational disabilities. The company’s integration management program provides for close
cooperation between supervisors, employees, HR, disabled-employee representatives and Health Services to
permit disabled employees to remain in their workplace or to change to a suitable job. This allows us to retain
skilled staff, and valuable knowledge acquired over many years remains with WACKER.
In 2012, the annual average of disabled employees in Germany was 921 (2011: 858). For years, WACKER has
always employed more disabled than required by German law (percentage of staff: 2011: 6.8 percent; 2012:
7.3 percent; legally mandated: 5 percent). Even so, we had to pay a low compensatory levy in 2011, as not
every subsidiary achieved the 5-percent target. More than 38 percent of WACKER’s disabled employees were
aged between 55 and 65. Each year, Siltronic reserves at least one vocational training position for a disabled
person. After the trainee has successfully completed the training program, the goal is a steady job at WACKER.
The Burghausen site provides at least two vocational training positions each year for disabled youth.
In 2011, the Bavarian state government presented WACKER with its 2011 “JobErfolg” (Job Success) Award,
which recognizes companies for outstanding performance in integrating disabled persons.
104
Employees
Th e 2 0 1 2 R h e u m a ti sm Pri z e g o e s to Bu rg h a u se n
Is it possible to have a successful career despite a chronic illness? The answer is provided by Raymund VoglHainthaler (1st from left), who has been employed for 26 years at Siltronic in Burghausen. He has suffered for
25 years from Bekhterev’s disease, a chronic rheumatic ailment that gradually causes the spinal column to
stiffen, thereby crucially impairing movement. From the very beginning, however, he has spoken openly about
his disease and therefore, he notes, was offered “the help and support of colleagues.”
Vogl-Hainthaler works as an operator for coating silicon wafers. Low stools and platforms facilitate work for the
50-year-old, and younger colleagues do the heavy lifting and carrying for him. In return, these junior
colleagues also benefit from his expertise, because Vogl-Hainthaler trains new employees and offers them
plenty of useful advice from his many years of experience.
He was awarded the 2012 “RheumaPreis” in Heidelberg for his exemplary, open approach in dealing with his
disease. His employer was also given an award, for “remarkable commitment to employees with rheumatism.”
WACKER supports disabled individuals who cannot find work on the general job market, for example by
collaborating with workshops for the disabled. Our Burghausen site, for instance, sources key products from the
charitable Ruperti workshops – such as dunnage for securing freight, to mounting plates for process
engineering, up to packaging for Siltronic. At the Nünchritz site, we have for many years been using the
services of the disabled workshop “Lebenshilfe Riesa e.V.” (a charity for the mentally disabled) for landscaping
and garden maintenance. An example of cooperation with disabled individuals in the USA is the Pomona
Valley Workshop.
105
Employees
D i sa bl e d Em pl o ye e s
2012
2011
2010
Mandatory workplaces (annual average)
667
646
633
Actual workplaces (annual average)
921
858
827
1 3 8 .1
1 3 2 .8
130.6
7 .3
6 .8
6.7
0
1
4
Ratio of actual to mandatory workplaces
(annual average, %)
Disabled employees as a percentage of total employees,
WACKER Germany
Compensatory levy (€ thousand)
WACKER hires new employees and executives solely on the basis of qualification. For this reason, we do not
give preference to local applicants when we have senior management posts to fill. In Germany, the General
Equal Treatment Act (AGG) in any case forbids the selection of personnel according to origin. However, in the
other WACKER regions, such as China and the USA, we also select candidates exclusively by qualification.
At the end of 2012, 47 of a total of 205 executive personnel (OFK) were of non-German nationality groupwide –
this is 23 percent of the total. Overall, 16 different nationalities were represented at the executive level.
It goes without saying that we offer equality of opportunity to all employees, regardless of their gender. This
approach also applies to compensation. The amount earned reflects in particular each job’s specific demands
and responsibilities. The average annual salary of female employees is marginally lower than that of male
employees. The reason lies in the statistical analysis, where the figures had not been adjusted for parameters
such as seniority, age and performance content of the salary.
R a ti o o f Wo m e n ’ s An n u a l Sa l a ri e s to Me n ’ s 1
%
2012
Standard-payscale employees
Above-standard-payscale employees
1
2
2
2011
2010
9 6 .7
9 3 .9
93.4
9 8 .4
9 7 .3
96.4
Full-time employees on permanent s taff, WACKER Germany
Third-level management (FK3)
WACKER is trying to increase the number of female executives. For this purpose, we participate in Munich’s
Cross-Mentoring Program. To get girls interested in jobs such as chemical technician, industrial mechanic or
electronics specialist, we take part in the Girls’ Day event held throughout Germany.
WACKER joined a German Ministry of Education and Research study, investigating women’s development for
executive positions at large companies. Alongside WACKER, five other chemical and technology companies
took part. The study focused on developing the careers of women with university or technical-college degrees.
17 percent of graduates employed at WACKER in Germany are women. The results of the study demonstrate
marked gender differences in career development. Women are keenly interested in a career, yet are less
successful than men, and assess their career chances in our company as being less positive. The majority of
women surveyed would like to see specific measures for encouraging equality of opportunity.
We have set the goal of significantly increasing the proportion of women in middle and senior management
positions over the medium term. In 2012, we started a Talent Management pilot project that we would like to
implement groupwide starting 2013. One of the goals is to make female management potential visible and to
assist these women in their next career step. The project should also encourage women to take on
management positions as part-time employment and in conjunction with raising a family. WACKER does not
plan to introduce a quota for women in managing positions.
106
Employees
Eq u a l Oppo rtu n i ty
2012
Em pl o ye e s, g ro u pw i d e
2011
2010
1 6 ,2 9 2
1 7 ,1 6 8
16,314
3 ,5 9 7
3 ,7 6 8
3,560
2 2 .1
2 1 .9
21.8
1 2 ,6 3 5
1 2 ,8 1 3
12,235
1 ,4 8 6
1 ,5 4 0
1,545
1 1 .8
1 2 .0
12.6
3 ,4 2 3
3 ,1 7 1
2,920
752
607
562
Female FK3 employees, groupwide (%)
2 2 .0
1 9 .1
19.2
Exe cu ti ve pe rso n n e l (OFK), g ro u pw i d e
205
203
206
15
12
14
7 .3
5 .9
6.8
Thereof female
Female employees, groupwide (%)
Em pl o ye e s, WAC KER G e rm a n y
Thereof non-German
Non-German employees at WACKER Germany (%)
Th i rd - l e ve l m a n a g e m e n t e m pl o ye e s (FK3 ),
g ro u pw i d e
Thereof female
Thereof female
Female OFK employees, groupwide (%)
Work / Life Balance
Our employees should be able to integrate their careers and private lives. WACKER is dedicated to this aim.
WACKER has a wide range of flextime models, even including a self-regulated system based on trust.
Wherever possible, we offer both full-time and part-time jobs, even for shift workers in continuously operating
plants. In individual cases, WACKER enables employees to work from home (an option that may be combined
with part-time work), and authorizes unpaid leave for urgent personal matters.
Pa rt- Ti m e Em pl o ye e s
2012
2011
2010
996
973
762
Thereof female
726
718
623
Thereof male
270
255
139
7 .9
7 .6
6.2
900
1 ,0 5 6
1,268
573
413
429
Pa rt- ti m e e m pl o ye e s, WAC KER G e rm a n y
Part-time employees, WACKER Germany (%)
Em pl o ye e s i n ph a se d e a rl y re ti re m e n t
Thereof in non-active phase
A key aspect of WACKER’s HR policy focuses on ensuring that our employees can balance family life with
work. The variety of work-time models reflects the circumstances specific to men and women at particular
stages in their lives. WACKER was one of the first companies to sign a joint declaration on Germany’s “Family
as a Success Factor” business network, which has its origins in an initiative launched by the Federal Ministry of
Family Affairs and the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce. In the declaration, WACKER commits
itself to taking into account the needs of employees with family obligations and to offering suitable support.
We support childcare and the return to work after parental leave. One example is the return-to-work workshop
at the Burghausen site. Day care and after-school care facilities are available at the Wöhler-Kinderhaus,
located very close to the plant. A local day-care center offers a fixed number of day care slots to employees at
the Siltronic site in Freiberg, Saxony. At the Munich site, pme Familienservice GmbH helps employees find
kindergarten and preschool places.
107
Employees
Em pl o ye e s o n Pa re n ta l L e a ve , WAC KER G e rm a n y
2012
2011
2010
387
356
336
Thereof men
173
135
107
Thereof women
214
221
229
226
232
183
161
120
97
65
112
86
223
200
159
Thereof men
119
102
96
Thereof women
104
98
63
Pa re n ta l l e a ve
R e tu rn e e s fro m pa re n ta l l e a ve
Thereof men
Thereof women
R e tu rn e e s fro m pa re n ta l l e a ve w h o w e re sti l l
w o rki n g fo r th e co m pa n y 1 2 m o n th s l a te r
At all its German sites, WACKER offers a service for family emergencies. Whether employees themselves or
family members fall ill or need nursing care, advice can be obtained from pme Familienservice GmbH.
Compensation and Social Benefits
In addition to their fixed base salary (which includes vacation and Christmas bonuses), WACKER employees
also receive variable compensation – a voluntary payment to employees on the standard and above-standardpay scales. It consists of a profit-sharing amount and a personal-performance component.
IG BCE (the German mining, chemicals and energy labor union) and chemical industry employers agreed on
a new 15-month collective-bargaining agreement in March 2011. The standard pay scale increased by 4.1
percent. Training allowances were raised by €35 per month. Union and management representatives
negotiated a new 19-month collective-bargaining agreement in May 2012. The standard pay scale increased
by 4.5 percent. Training allowances were raised by €50 per month. WACKER increased the salaries of abovestandard-payscale employees by 4.0 percent for a 12-month period.
The German mining, chemicals and energy labor union (IG BCE), the employers’ association of German
private employment agencies (BAP), and the German temporary-employment agencies’ interest group (iGZ)
concluded a collective-bargaining agreement for temporary workers. It entered into force in November 2012
and is aimed at bringing temporary workers’ wages in line with the compensation paid to permanent staff.
Temporary workers in the final stage achieve between 85 and 90 percent of the compensation paid in the
chemical industry.
In 2011, management and employee representatives agreed on how the Demography Fund stipulated in the
“Working Life and Demography” collective-bargaining agreement will be used. Accordingly, the annual
“demographic sum” of €300 per full-time employee will be paid into the company pension plan. As this amount
was first offered in 2010, the company provided €600 per full-time employee in 2011. All standard and abovestandard-payscale employees, excluding members of executive personnel (OFKs), receive the demographic
sum. In addition to, and independently of, the demographic sum governed by collective-bargaining
agreements, WACKER provided a one-time sum of €16.8 million as a start-up financing measure in 2011.
The “demographic sum I” agreed by the collective-bargaining parties – €312.30 per full-time employee – was
paid into the pension plan in 2012. The amount represents compensation for any cuts in the statutory retirement
plan that might result when employees take early retirement. The “demographic sum II” in the amount of €200
per full-time standard-payscale employee for the years 2012 through 2015 that was additionally agreed by the
parties in the 2012 collective-bargaining agreement is used for lifecycle-oriented working-time models, for
example phased early retirement. Separate rules apply in the collective-bargaining region of eastern Germany.
In this region, a company fund will be formed and 2.5 percent of standard-payscale compensation for the
previous year will be paid into it each year. Additionally, the fund will be topped up by the respective
108
Employees
“demographic sum II” of €200 per full-time standard-payscale employee for each year from 2012 through
2015. The purpose of the fund is to permit the working hours of selected employees to be adjusted in line with
the particular stages in their lives (such as raising children, caring for relatives), while taking into account the
company’s specific business situation.
Other important aspects, alongside salaries, include the company’s social-insurance contributions. Based on
what competitors offer and based on local market conditions, these benefits include supplementary sick pay,
subsidized company restaurants, and attractive company cars.
A WACKER company pension is an important compensation component and is available at most of our
German and non-German sites – except for regions where the statutory pension appears sufficient or legal
provisions are inadequate.
In Germany, the WACKER company pension has two components: the basic pension and a supplementary
pension. In addition, employees have the opportunity to enlist in a private plan that minimizes their tax burden
while saving for retirement. The basic company pension supplements the statutory pension. In taxation terms,
the supplementary company pension positively impacts that proportion of the salary which exceeds the upper
limit for the statutory pension and the basic company pension.
Wacker Chemie AG’s pension fund – Pensionskasse der Wacker Chemie VVaG (a mutual insurance
company) – provides a company pension to employees in Germany. The fund has some 17,000 members and
provides pension payments to around 7,450 retirees. The average pension paid was around €630 per month.
WACKER pays up to 3.5 times its employees’ annual pension contributions, with the exact amount being
determined by the individual contribution rate.
The WACKER pension fund achieved good results during the 2011-2012 period. Fund assets grew by
approximately €100 million to nearly €1.6 billion, and in 2012, by another €108 million to €1.7 billion. Despite
the difficult capital-market environment, the WACKER pension fund achieved a market-value return of 4.3
percent in 2011, and in 2012, 5.7 percent. The fund has prepared itself well for the coming years with a broad
investment portfolio, security mechanisms and continual risk evaluation. The fund also passed all the stress
tests required by Germany’s Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin).
C o m pa n y Pe n si o n s
Average monthly company pension (€)
Total expenses for pensions and pension-related benefits
(€ thousand)
2012
2011
2010
630
630
630
4 9 ,7 0 0
4 8 ,4 0 0
47,300
Additionally, WACKER contributes to guaranteed minimum incomes in countries without national mandatory
health insurance or pension programs. We make sure that our compensation and social benefits are fair and
competitive worldwide. At the very least, they correspond to local legislation or industrial codes of practice and,
in many cases, they surpass the local minimum. WACKER Greater China, for example, offers its employees a
host of additional benefits, such as insurance policies or relocation assistance. Lower-paid employees, too, are
in a position to cover their own and their families’ living costs.
WACKER’s part-time and fixed-term employees also receive the full range of social benefits. However,
participation in some benefits and their full payment, e.g. profit-sharing and the company pension, are
dependent on minimum seniority.
With its good social benefits and performance-based compensation, WACKER is an attractive employer. This
explains our high level of employee loyalty. The average length of service in Germany (permanent staff) was
16.8 years (2011: 16.7 years). On average, executive personnel remain at the company for 22 years. The 2012
groupwide employee turnover rate rose to 7.9 percent (2011: 2.9 percent). The higher rate is due to the closure
of Siltronic’s production site at Hikari (Japan) and the layoffs at the Portland (USA) site. As a consequence of
these measures, the turnover rate at non-German sites rose from 8.9 percent in 2011 to 30.8 percent in 2012. It
was unchanged in Germany at 0.9 percent (2011: 0.9 percent).
109
Employees
Em pl o ye e Tu rn o ve r R a te s i n 2 0 1 2
in %
Of which
Inter‐
Group Germany national Europe 1
USA
China
Other
Asia countries
Me n a n d Wo m e n
7 .9
0 .9
3 0 .8
6 .1
2 5 .9
1 3 .3
5 6 .0
1 7 .6
Me n o n l y
7 .8
0 .9
3 3 .1
6 .4
2 7 .0
1 4 .7
6 0 .5
1 5 .3
Wo m e n o n l y
8 .3
0 .9
2 5 .2
5 .0
2 3 .1
1 0 .8
4 4 .1
2 2 .2
1
Excluding Germany
in %
Of which
Inter‐
USA
China
Other
Asia countries
Me n a n d Wo m e n
2 .9
0 .9
8 .9
4 .2
6 .3
1 5 .8
1 0 .4
2 0 .5
Me n o n l y
2 .6
0 .9
8 .3
3 .9
7 .1
1 3 .6
8 .8
2 0 .5
Wo m e n o n l y
4 .1
1 .1
1 0 .6
5 .2
4 .4
1 9 .8
1 5 .3
2 0 .6
1
Excluding Germany
in %
Of which
Inter‐
USA
China
Other
Asia countries
Me n a n d Wo m e n
2 .5
0 .6
8 .7
6 .0
5 .2
1 5 .1
1 1 .3
1 2 .6
Me n o n l y
2 .2
0 .5
8 .5
5 .6
5 .7
1 5 .4
9 .8
1 2 .0
Wo m e n o n l y
3 .7
1 .1
9 .7
7 .2
3 .9
1 4 .5
1 5 .8
1 3 .6
1
Excluding Germany
WACKER holds a regular celebration to honor its employees who have been with the company for many years.
In 2012 alone, 276 employees based in Germany were recognized for 25, 40 or 50 years of service,
respectively.
No other German chemical or pharmaceutical company received a better evaluation from its own managers
than WACKER in 2011. The satisfaction survey of Germany’s Association of Chemical-Industry Executives
(VAA) ranked WACKER at the top for the first time ever with a score of 2.77 (using the German school grade
scale of 1 – best – to 6 – worst). In the following year, WACKER, with a score of 2.78, achieved fourth place
among 25 companies evaluated. The survey assessed corporate strategies, culture and working conditions.
China is another country where WACKER ranks among the best employers. The Corporate Research
Foundation (CRF) gave WACKER Greater China its “Top Employer” seal of approval in both years under
review. CRF is an independent organization that has been rating companies since 1991 for such aspects as
social benefits, working conditions, professional training and career opportunities, and corporate culture.
110
Employees
In a survey of 36,000 students at 130 universities who were nearing their final exams, the “trendence”
consultancy firm identified WACKER as a highly popular employer among engineering graduates. The survey
about highly popular employers ranked WACKER among Germany’s top 100 companies in 2012. A student
survey carried out by the consultancy firm "Universum" in 2012 showed that, in Germany, WACKER was a
favored employer for natural sciences majors.
Employee Representation
WACKER works with the employee representatives in a spirit of cooperation and trust. Industrial union
membership has always been high among WACKER employees, especially at the German sites. However,
employees are under no obligation to inform their employer of any union membership, and the employer is not
permitted to ask. We therefore do not know how many union members there are at WACKER. Approximately
90 percent of our employees worldwide work in organizational units comprising employee representation and
subject to collective-bargaining regulations.
WACKER employment contracts treat staff based in Germany – regardless of their union membership – as if
they were covered by the respective applicable collective-bargaining agreement. WACKER employees at sites
outside Germany can also form unions. At non-German sites without (statutory or voluntary) employee
representation, HR staff members are the contacts for employee interests.
Wacker Biotech GmbH in Jena, Germany, elected an employee council for the first time in 2011.
Health Protection
Health Management
One of our corporate goals is to protect the health of our employees. But our care for our employees goes much
further than that. Demographic change has made it necessary for us to help employees remain healthy and
productive for a longer working life. WACKER has signed the Luxembourg Declaration on Workplace Health
Promotion in the EU. In doing so, we have undertaken to promote health and to encourage employees to
improve their health.
In health management, the focus is on five fields. We seek to avoid spinal disorders and cardiovascular
diseases in our workforce, increase mental resilience, enable age-appropriate work and find suitable jobs for
staff with health restrictions.
Two of the most important strategic instruments for ensuring occupational health and safety are medical
checkups and health-promotion programs. Health Services at our Burghausen site advises employees in all
health matters, particularly concerning availability for work and reintegration. Risk groups like diabetics,
employees with back problems or psychological problems receive in-depth care and are thus kept fit for work in
the long term.
In the 2011-2012 reporting period, we turned the pilot project that we launched in 2010 together with the South
German branch of the statutory pension insurance system (Deutsche Rentenversicherung Süd) in 2010 into a
long-term collaboration. The goal of the program is to improve the effectiveness of rehabilitation measures for
employees, the Group and the insurer. WACKER’s Health Services department can now submit rehabilitation
applications on an employee’s behalf, for expedited processing by the insurance system. Our company doctors
work with partner clinics to tailor rehab measures to the requirements of the employee’s job. Around 70 rehab
procedures were managed this way in 2011/2012. We were able to reintegrate into the work process 87
percent of employees who had been on sick leave for a longer period of time due to illness or accidents.
111
Employees
Since 2012, we have been offering preventive checkups to third-level executives (“FK3” personnel) over 45
years of age at all locations in Germany. In addition to organ examinations, the FK3 checkups also focus on
giving employees advice on how to deal better with mental stress situations. Around two-thirds of the
employees approached have taken advantage of this offer to date.
During the period under review, we also examined workplaces at the Burghausen and Nünchritz sites for
possible psychological stress. The new analysis initially focused on work activity in control rooms. It will,
however, be gradually expanded to cover other areas of production as part of the general hazard analysis.
In 2012, Singapore’s Health Promotion Board (HPB) presented Siltronic Singapore (SSP) with the silver
Singapore HEALTH (Helping Employees Achieve Life-Time Health) Award. The authorities use this award to
honor companies that support their employees in leading a healthy and active lifestyle.
Employee Information and Health Programs
WACKER emphasizes the importance of informing its employees of health hazards. We regularly organize
health campaigns on various topics. In 2012, for example, we held events on the subject of cardiovascular
health at sites in Germany, the USA and China. Under the motto “Follow your heart,” employees learned about
the correlation between lifestyle and the risk of cardiovascular disease. An examination conducted at
Burghausen, WACKER’s largest site, revealed that roughly 1 out of every 10 male employees has a high risk of
suffering from a heart attack.
Additionally, employees are offered fitness classes if suitable facilities are available at their site. The healthpromotion programs also include addiction-prevention seminars and back training. WACKER also encourages
employees to participate in inter-company running events.
An influenza vaccination is offered once annually for all employees, at all sites around the world. This
vaccination is free of charge and voluntary.
WACKER promotes substance-abuse prevention. In general, alcohol is forbidden at work and there are courses
to help smokers kick their habit. All managerial staff members are required to attend training programs on the
topic of substance abuse prevention. These programs aim to help them recognize employees who are at risk or
are already addicted, and to assist them in seeking proper treatment. We also provide management with
courses on detecting employees suffering from psychological stress and on alleviating the problem.
Si ckn e ss R a te 1
%
2012
2011
2010
Sickness rate 1
4 .8
4 .6
4.5
1
Days los t through illnes s / target working time in days × 100; WACKER Germany
The number of recognized occupational diseases is very low at WACKER’s German sites. Respiratory
diseases and cancer are the most frequent causes of illness; there are some isolated cases where previous
exposure to asbestos or benzene has caused occupational diseases. So far, WACKER has not evaluated
groupwide figures concerning occupational diseases of its employees because the criteria for the recognition of
illnesses as occupational vary from country to country.
112
Employees
Occu pa ti o n a l D i se a se s
2012
Recognized cases1
1
6
2011
3
2010
4
Recogniz ed by the Berufs genos s ens chaft Rohs toffe und chemis che Indus trie (the s tatutory employer liability ins urance
carrier of the bas ic materials and chemical indus tries ), WACKER Germany
Pandemic-Preparedness Plan
WACKER has maintained a pandemic-preparedness plan since 2005 to minimize health risks and business
disruption in the event of a crisis. The plan defines how and when a central management team should
coordinate all emergency-response measures worldwide. It includes regulations on how to deal with
employees who have fallen ill or have been exposed, as well as guidelines on business trips to affected
regions, and rules concerning site-specific access checks. WACKER has a supply of influenza drugs and
special equipment (such as face masks, gloves and disinfectants) to hand out to employees in the event of a
pandemic.
113
Society
WACKER sees itself as a corporate citizen. Education,
together with charitable and outreach projects to help
children and young people, represents one pillar of
our commitment to society. The WACKER relief fund
(WACKER HILFSFONDS) provides support to victims
of natural disasters.
Societ y
S o c ie ty
Donations and Sponsorships
D o n a ti o n s
Companies can only be commercially successful if they have society’s trust, which is why we take our social
responsibilities seriously, especially in communities near our sites. We place particular importance on the
scientific and technical education of young people, since we will need dedicated scientists and engineers if we
are to remain competitive tomorrow. Charitable and outreach projects to help children and young people
represent another pillar of our social commitment, while the WACKER relief fund (WACKER HILFSFONDS)
provides support to victims of natural disasters and helps rebuild devastated regions. As part of our social
commitment, we seek enduring partnerships, focusing our investments preferably on long-term projects.
Taxes represent a significant way in which WACKER contributes to society – with €104.8 million in current
taxes going to governments throughout the world in 2012 (2011: €234.7 million). For many years, WACKER
has been the largest business taxpayer in Burghausen and Nünchritz, the locations of our two biggest German
sites.
In addition to WACKER’s corporate taxes, governments receive the personal taxes and social-security
contributions paid by our employees.
WAC KER ’ s D o n a ti o n s a n d Spo n so rsh i ps
€ thousand
2012
Donations
891
3 ,6 3 9
1,011
3
0
0
Sponsorships
1 ,1 3 5
877
1,150
To ta l
2 ,0 2 6
4 ,5 1 6
2,161
0 .0 4
0 .0 9
0.05
Of which political donations
Share of sales (%)
2011
2010
WAC KER ’ s D o n a ti o n s a n d Spo n so rsh i ps – 2 0 1 2
115
Societ y
WAC KER ’ s D o n a ti o n s a n d Spo n so rsh i ps – 2 0 1 1
We donated roughly €3.6 million in 2011. Two-thirds of this went to the Chattanooga State Community
College, where we founded the WACKER INSTITUTE. The center is to train future employees for the new
polysilicon site in Charleston, Tennessee (USA). The remaining funds went to the SV Wacker Burghausen
sports club as part of our efforts to support popular sports, and to foundations, associations and non-profit
organizations. In 2012, our donations amounted to some €890,000.
Our sponsoring activities focus on education, science and the SV Wacker Burghausen professional soccer
team. Sponsoring expenses amounted to some €880,000 in 2011 and €1,133,000 in 2012. The increase is
due to the revision of WACKER’s school experiment kit and the organization of the Bavarian Young Scientists
(“Jugend forscht”) competition (see Schools).
Neighbors
WACKER sees itself as a corporate citizen – and corporate citizenship begins with a good relationship with
one’s neighbors. For WACKER that means being open about what goes on behind the plant gates. With
hotlines and central contact persons available, residents living near our sites around the world can turn to us
with their concerns and receive fast, clear answers to their questions. We inform the public about our sites
through environmental reports and other publications, and through open houses and events such as our
environmental fair at Burghausen, and our annual neighborhood discussions at Nünchritz. WACKER
continued its open-door policy during the period under review, as illustrated by the following two examples:
WACKER participated in the German chemical industry's nationwide open house in 2011, the International
Year of Chemistry. Under the slogan, “A glimpse into our world,” some 20,000 visitors to the Burghausen,
Freiberg and Cologne sites spent a day at the company looking behind the scenes and learning about the
world of chemistry through plant tours, experiment demonstrations and product presentations. 2011 was
proclaimed the International Year of Chemistry by the General Assembly of the United Nations to highlight
the accomplishments of chemistry and its contribution to the well-being of humanity.
A L o o k Be h i n d th e Sce n e s
15,000 visitors attended the open house in Burghausen on a
beautiful late summer’s day. The site buses took visitors on 90
tours to nine different WACKER facilities – from the WACKER
ACADEMY training center to the powder plant and on to our
wafer manufacturer, Siltronic. On the big central stage, a lively
program was hosted by a well-known local radio DJ.
Complementing the program of music were interesting
interviews with members of WACKER’s Executive Board on
the current development of the site and on topics such as
transportation infrastructure, energy production, sustainability
and relations with the local community.
116
Societ y
In 2012, WACKER’s site in Nanjing (China) collaborated with other companies located in the Nanjing
Chemical Industry Park to organize an open house. About 400 visitors toured the plant, where they were
shown the various facilities.
We assess the effects of our business activities on our surroundings both on an ongoing basis and prior to
making investment decisions. The assessment process includes analyses of parameters such as anticipated
emissions, the regional infrastructure and impacts on the local job market.
WACKER’s new hyperpure polysilicon production facilities at its Nünchritz site officially went into operation in
April 2012. Overall, we have invested some €900 million in the facilities and created more than 500 new jobs.
The Nünchritz plant was founded as a chemical site in 1900 and became part of the WACKER Group in 1998.
Meanwhile, approximately €1.5 billion has been invested in the plant, making it one of the world’s largest and
most modern production sites for silicones and hyperpure polysilicon. More than 1,400 people currently work at
WACKER Nünchritz. We have kept area residents openly informed about the expansion project ever since
construction of the new facilities began in 2008. Our standards of open, transparent information have helped
give the site a very good reputation with its neighbors. Despite the unavoidable inconveniences caused by the
construction program, most residents of Nünchritz and the surrounding area had a positive attitude toward the
WACKER plant’s expansion.
WACKER POLYMERS in Allentown (Pennsylvania, USA) has been cooperating with Habitat for Humanity of the
Lehigh Valley since 2010. This non-profit organization renovates or builds inexpensive houses that are sold to
needy families. They benefit from loans at favorable interest rates. In turn, these loans are transferred to a fund
that is used to build further Habitat houses. WACKER POLYMERS supports Habitat for Humanity by providing
both funding and volunteers to help with painting, finishing and tiling.
During the period under review, WACKER’s SILMIX® subsidiary partnered with a local workshop for the
disabled. This subsidiary needed help in meeting demand peaks during the production and packaging of
silicone earplugs, as well as the processing of related orders. The California Disability Services Association
(CDSA) honored the company for its commitment with the “Excellence in Employment Award 2012.”
D i sa bl e d In d i vi d u a l s Pro vi d e Pe rfe ct Se rvi ce
In 2012, a workshop for the disabled started to help WACKER’s
SILMIX® subsidiary in providing on-time, perfect service even
during periods of high demand. SILMIX® produces specialty
silicone rubber compounds in California and at other locations.
These compounds form the basis for earplugs, which SILMIX®
markets worldwide. “Every so often, there are demand peaks,”
explains Kim Liberato, head of SILMIX® California. These
peaks are now met long-term by over 300 disabled persons
from the Pomona Valley Workshop (PVW), a local charitable
institution. It supports people who, despite suffering from
autism, Down’s syndrome and other developmental
disabilities, are willing to tackle simple assembly and
packaging tasks precisely and efficiently, and are capable of
doing so. A joint project between SILMIX® and PVW saw the
construction of a production facility where disabled workers
now make and package swimmers’ earplugs. This business
model is a win-win situation for all concerned: SILMIX® no longer has to worry about service bottlenecks and
the PVW workers have a job that makes them proud and contented.
Every year, Wacker Metroark Chemicals Pvt. Ltd., based near Kolkata (India), distributes mosquito nets to local
families enabling them to protect themselves against malaria and other diseases. In the period under review,
the joint venture offered additional assistance to the local community by donating solar lamps to villagers and
getting two villages connected to the electricity grid. What’s more, Wacker Metroark Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. funded
medical checkups and eye tests for local residents.
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Societ y
Dr. Peter von Zumbusch, former president of WACKER Greater China, was honored with the “Magnolia
Memorial Award 2012” bestowed by the Shanghai Municipality Government in recognition of his outstanding
contributions to the region’s economic and social development. That same year, Ki-Hong Cho, Wacker
Chemicals Korea’s Ulsan plant manager, was distinguished with an award for his contribution to chemicalindustry development in Ulsan and South Korea by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in Seoul.
Procuring goods and services from local suppliers is another important way in which WACKER supports
neighboring communities. We purchase over 90 percent of our technical goods and services in the country for
which they are intended. Our two biggest sites are good examples of this regional supply chain system:
Bu rg h a u se n (Ba va ri a , G e rm a n y)
In 2012, the site procured 22 percent (valued at over €160 million) of its technical goods and services from
local suppliers. WACKER’s Burghausen site lies within ChemDelta Bavaria, a chemistry research and
production triangle encompassing companies that, together, employ some 25,000 people and secure an
additional 50,000 jobs in the region.
N ü n ch ri tz (Sa xo n y, G e rm a n y)
The plant, located in the state of Saxony in eastern Germany, sourced 24 percent of its supplies and services
from the surrounding region in 2012 (up from 21 percent in 2011). An additional 4 percent of its suppliers were
from other eastern German states (4 percent in 2011). In total, these services from Saxony were valued at
roughly €107 million (€92 million in 2011).
R e g i o n a l Pro cu re m e n t
20102
2012
2011
96
93
−
90
86
−
USA
90
63
−
G ro u p
93
79
−
Share of regionally procured 1 technical goods
and services (%)
Germany
Greater China
3
1
Suppliers from the res pective country
No data available
3
China, Hong Kong and Taiwan
2
Schools
As a chemical company, we are going to need outstanding scientists in the future. Consequently, WACKER is
working to generate enthusiasm for technology and the natural sciences among children, a goal we are
pursuing in a variety of ways.
WACKER supports progressive teaching methods and modern school management systems. Our Group is
one of the founding members of the Bavarian Educational Pact, a foundation in which 143 companies have
joined Bavaria in sponsoring various projects at state schools. The aim of all of these projects is to modernize
the Bavarian educational system.
Since developing its first experiment kit for schools in 1992, WACKER has worked with educators and chemists
to continuously improve the experiments and accompanying brochures. The kits, which are available to schools
at no cost, contain all of the basics required for running chemical experiments on materials such as silicone
fluids, antifoam agents, moldmaking compounds and cyclodextrins. We completely revised the kit contents
during the period under review. The new version – called CHEM2DO – came out in September 2012. With the
new kit, experiments on silicones and cyclodextrins can be integrated into the school curricula. The
experiments, which can be performed in small groups, help invigorate chemistry lessons and stimulate young
people’s enthusiasm for science. There is also a new training course for teachers to acquaint them with the
CHEM2DO experiments. Since fall 2012, the course has been available across Germany at the Society of
German Chemists’
(German-language link only) teacher-training centers and selected universities.
www.wacker.com/schulversuchskoffer
(German-language link only)
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Societ y
WACKER supports Science-Lab (German language link only), a private-sector educational initiative that
awakens children’s interest in science at an early age. At our German sites, we finance one-day Science-Lab
seminars for elementary-school and kindergarten teachers, and also donate research kits, thereby facilitating
an age-appropriate approach to topics such as biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy and the earth sciences.
In Burghausen and nearby Altötting, WACKER financed Science-Lab experiment fairs for children during the
summer vacation.
In order to show students the relationship between raw materials and a finished product, the Museum of
Natural History in Vienna has developed a raw materials kit. The display case entitled “What’s Inside a Cell
Phone?” contains samples of minerals, rocks and industrial raw materials. It allows students to establish a
definite link between geology and everyday objects. WACKER supported this educational project with specialist
knowledge and donated silicon wafers and polysilicon.
Since 1998, WACKER has supported Germany’s Young Scientists
(German-language link only) einbauen))
competition, which promotes young people’s interest in science. Every two years (including 2012), we organize
and sponsor the state round of the competition for Bavaria
(German-language link only). WACKER has also
supported Dresden’s regional Young Scientists competition since 2007, first as partner and, since 2009, as an
official corporate sponsor.
Yo u n g Sci e n ti sts C o m pe ti ti o n : Ma g i c Fo rm u l a Fi g h ts Ba d Bre a th
Mouthwashes containing cyclodextrins are ideal for combating
bad breath. Two high-school students, Gabriel Salg and
Nicolas Scheidig, succeeded in proving this – and won the
Bavarian 2011 Young Scientists competition. They got the idea
for their research project, a solution to bad breath, after
WACKER provided their school with cyclodextrins for
chemistry lessons.
The 16-year-old students thought about possible applications
for the ring-shaped sugar molecules and quickly figured out
that cyclodextrins can absorb unpleasant odors. “They serve
as a form of chemical trap,” explains Gabriel Salg. “The
cyclodextrin draws in the odor molecules and then
encapsulates them.” Among other things, the young
researchers found out that cyclodextrin C 42H 70O35 is capable of
taking up and binding hydrogen sulfide, dimethyl sulfide and
methyl mercaptan – three main causes of unpleasant odors.
At Germany’s national Young Scientists competition, the two students from Hösbach (near Aschaffenburg,
northern Bavaria) won the German Chancellor’s special award for the most original work.
All WACKER sites help young people prepare for a profession. At career days and student workshops, our
employees introduce high-school students to jobs in the chemical industry and teach them practical skills. The
following are a few examples from the period under review:
Since 2012, outstanding students from two US regional high schools (Walker Valley and Bradley Central)
have been able to register for courses held by the recently established WACKER INSTITUTE in Chattanooga.
The institute aims to get students interested in chemical-technical jobs relating to polysilicon production at
WACKER’s Charleston site in Tennessee. A further goal is to support these students throughout their
training.
WACKER has founded a scholarship program at the Liangfeng Senior High School in Zhangjiagang in the
Chinese province of Jiangsu. Every year, the scholarship funds 25 students and six teachers who distinguish
themselves through outstanding academic achievements. In particular, the scholarship provides financial
support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Additionally, WACKER experts share their know-how
at the high school by giving specialized classroom instruction on industrial silicone applications.
Girls’ Day: as in previous years, WACKER’s Burghausen-based vocational training center (BBiW) took part
in this nationwide career information day in the period under review. Girls attending the event learned about
careers as industrial mechanics, skilled chemical workers and electrical maintenance and automation
technicians.
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Societ y
In 2011 and 2012, WACKER, along with other chemical companies, took part in the FORSCHA tradeshow
for young scientists in Munich. Children and adolescents learned how to faithfully reproduce objects with
silicone moldmaking compounds.
Be d si d e To u ch scre e n
A donation from WACKER has made it possible for the young
patients at the Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital in Munich to
receive their lessons on a touchscreen computer. WACKER
Executive Board member Auguste Willems presented a check
for €10,000 to the children’s clinic in January 2012. Thanks to
this donation, the clinic was able to acquire large touchscreen
computers with internet access and video conference
technology – as replacements for conventional teaching
blackboards.
Children who are ill for lengthy periods of time easily fall
behind at school. To prevent this from happening, the Munich
School for Patients’ staff teach children at the hospital in
groups, or provide individual instruction at the bedside. Around
1,300 children are supported in this way every year. The
touchscreen computers at the Dr. von Hauner Children’s
Hospital are easy to use and the children really enjoy them. Thanks to the internet access, the students can
easily keep up with the material being taught in all the different subjects and types of schools. The equipment
also allows instruction via video conference, which students can link up to either from the various hospitals or
from home.
Universities
WACKER maintains close ties to universities throughout the world. Our researchers are frequently invited to
give presentations and guest lectures at universities. Similarly, university groups visit our sites for a glimpse of
work at an industrial corporation. WACKER offers students plant jobs and internships, as well as opportunities to
write doctoral theses and papers for bachelor’s and other degree programs.
WACKER has traditionally maintained a close relationship with the Technical University of Munich (TUM). This
collaboration led, in 2008, to the setting up of the Institute of Silicon Chemistry in Garching (near Munich) – a
pioneering example of practical support for the next generation of scientists. Over the past six years, we have
supported this interdisciplinary silicon institute and the WACKER Chair at the TUM with funding of €6 million. 16
students receiving WACKER grants completed their dissertations during the period under review, and 10 new
grant recipients have begun theirs. So far, WACKER has gained three highly qualified graduates as
employees.
WACKER’s support of young scientific talent extends beyond its collaboration with the Technical University of
Munich. In 2012, for instance, we commissioned research papers and theses from 31 students at 19
universities around the world (2011: 66 students at 33 universities). In China, the period under review saw
WACKER awarding scholarships totaling some RMB 200,000 (€25,000) to students from five neighboring
universities.
WACKER will launch production of polysilicon at its new Charleston (Tennessee) site in the USA in 2015. The
company plans to have hired 500 new production employees by then. In order to be able to recruit this number
of qualified workers, we founded a joint training center with the local Chattanooga State Community College.
The WACKER INSTITUTE will train mechanical systems technicians, electronics and instrumentation systems
technicians, process technicians (chemical operators), and chemical laboratory technicians (see chapter
Employees). WACKER made $150,000 available to the nearby Cleveland State Community College in order to
encourage study programs in the natural sciences and technology.
Since 2008, WACKER’s Burghausen site has held summer courses for process-engineering and chemicalengineering students. Through plant tours and lectures, the courses offer engineers insights into work at a
chemical company. In total, 74 students have already taken part in WACKER summer courses. Eight graduates
of the courses now work at WACKER.
In 2011, WACKER presented the €10,000 WACKER Silicone Award to Prof. Matthias Drieß. The company thus
honored the professor of Organometallic and Inorganic Chemistry at the TU Berlin (Technical University of
120
Societ y
Berlin) for his pioneering work on low-valence silicon compounds. Owing to their isolability and reactivity
properties, these compounds constitute promising building blocks that can be used to produce catalysts which
do not contain precious metals, for example. We present the WACKER Silicone Award, one of the world’s most
significant honors in the field of silicon chemistry, every two years.
Politics and NGOs
In accordance with our code of conduct, we are committed to responsibility and integrity – including in our
dealings with political parties and non-governmental organizations. We represent our political interests in a
way that is consistent with the positions we have expressed publicly. In our work with political entities, we focus
on concrete issues and are open to dialogue with any democratic parties.
WACKER takes an active role in trying to influence energy policies. During the period under review, we made
the following contributions to political opinion:
We support the renewable energy transition, especially the expansion of solar energy and wind power as two
main sources for Germany’s future energy mix.
The German Renewable Energy Act (EEG) must be developed further to make the expansion of renewable
energy more cost-efficient. To this end, the present method of calculating the EEG levy must be revised.
Wind and solar energy are causing prices to fall on the energy exchange. However, the price reduction
causes the EEG levy to increase. This structural problem must be solved.
As an industrial company with a high energy demand, we need globally competitive electricity prices and a
secure power supply.
We oppose any kind of punitive tariffs on solar modules and materials for photovoltaics. They artificially raise
the cost of solar products, reduce solar energy’s competitiveness and ultimately slow down the worldwide
energy transition and climate protection.
In 2011, WACKER opened a liaison office in Berlin to better represent the company’s political interests. In
addition, we regularly extend invitations to politicians for discussions and tours at our sites.
National and international associations – especially Europe’s CEFIC
(European Chemical Industry Council),
the USA’s ACC
(American Chemistry Council) and Germany’s VCI (Chemical Industry Association) –
serve as a platform for our expertise. Working within these bodies, we examine issues ranging from plant,
product and occupational safety to environmental protection, nanotechnology and industrial (“white”)
biotechnology. Our experts are also active in trade associations such as Deutsche Bauchemie (German
construction-chemicals association), where issues include sustainable construction.
WACKER is a founding member of the ChemDelta Bavaria
initiative, which was established in 2007.
Companies in this chemistry research and production triangle want to improve and expand the region’s
economic competitiveness – in harmony with its communities and the environment. These companies have
invested around €3 billion in the region over recent years. Improving the regional infrastructure is a major focus
of ChemDelta Bavaria, which counts WACKER and its Burghausen site as one of its cornerstones. In addition
to upgrading rail services, the initiative’s infrastructure goals include expanding the A94 freeway between
Munich and Passau – a stretch that is currently only partially complete.
During the period under review, ChemDelta Bavaria gave presentations at a parliamentary evening in Berlin
and for members of the EU parliament in Brussels as part of the Bavarian Industry Day. WACKER is also
advocating a scientific competence center for electrochemistry in the Bavarian Chemical Triangle. This kind of
research and education center, which would focus on energy storage, could be established in cooperation with
the Technical University of Munich and with industry. Offers of research work would be aimed, above all, at
advanced students and doctoral candidates.
121
Societ y
Children
We attach particular importance to projects that help children and young people. Since 2007, WACKER has
supported Die Arche (The Ark), a German Christian charity that aids children and adolescents from socially
disadvantaged families in several German cities. It provides the children with hot meals and extra tutoring,
organizes leisure activities and offers counseling. WACKER continued its tradition of donating to The Ark in
2011 and 2012. In each case, we donated €100,000 to the charity. WACKER’s commitment to The Ark goes
beyond financial contributions – its employees also spend their free time as volunteers at the annual Ark
Summer Festival.
WACKER’s support for children and young people at a regional level is not limited to the company’s focus on
funding for The Ark. In 2011, for instance, WACKER donated funds to the Bavarian Red Cross in Altötting to
provide follow-up care for children who have undergone cancer treatment.
Disaster Aid
WACKER’s relief fund is dedicated to providing unbureaucratic, long-term aid in the wake of natural disasters,
in particular. To date, WACKER has matched all employee contributions to the relief fund, whose board of
directors and board of trustees work on an honorary basis.
In 2012, the company relief fund asked employees to donate the cent amounts on their monthly paychecks to
the fund on a regular basis. About 4,300 people in Germany have responded to the call and are thus helping to
sustain relief fund projects centered on the reconstruction and running of schools and training facilities. The
WACKER Group is participating in the cent-donation program with a contribution that matches employee
donations. The cent donations enable the foundation to finance the running of an entire school of about 200
students in Kosgoda (Sri Lanka) up to the tenth grade – from the teachers’ salaries to teaching material to
school uniforms and subsidized lunches.
The other projects supported by WACKER’s relief fund likewise made progress in the period under review:
China
After the earthquake in 2008, WACKER’s relief fund financed
the reconstruction of an elementary school in Fujia, a village
in the Sichuan province of central China. The school
reopened for over 300 students in late 2009, bearing the
name WACKER Primary School. Since 2011, WACKER
Greater China has been supporting the school with
scholarships for students from disadvantaged backgrounds
and with school catering.
H a i ti
When an earthquake devastated this Caribbean nation in
January 2010, WACKER responded with an initial donation
of €50,000, which grew to a total of €125,000 thanks to
employees’ donations and the company matching them.
WACKER’s relief fund gave the money to the Don Bosco Mondo relief organization, which used the funds to
rebuild a devastated elementary/middle school in Gressier. With the works completed in 2012, the school now
serves 350 children, from the first to the 13th grade. These students are from very economically disadvantaged
backgrounds, and include many orphans and street children.
Pa ki sta n
In July 2010, torrential monsoon rains caused large-scale flooding, mudslides and landslides in northwest
Pakistan. Together with Malteser International, WACKER’s relief fund supported reconstruction of an
elementary school for 250 girls in the Swat district. The WACKER Executive Board donated €50,000 for the
project. Shortly after construction work had been completed in June 2012, classes resumed in the new
building.
122
Further Information
Here you will find the GRI indicators and GRI index, as
well as the glossary. The photo was taken at one of our
biotechnology research centers and shows reaction vessels in a centrifuge.
Furt her Inf ormat ion
F u rth e rI n fo rm a tio n
GRI Indicators
GRI Index (G3 Indicators)
Degree of
Compliance
1.
Vision and Strategy
1.1
Introduction by the CEO or Supervisory Board chairman
1.2
Key sustainability impacts, risks and opportunities
Info
Introduction by the
President and CEO
Goals & Outlook
Vision and Goals
Business Principles
Product Safety
Research and Development
Prevention
Demographic Change
2.
Organiz ational Profile
2.1
Name of the organiz ation
2.2
Primary brands, products and services
About this Report
Group Structure and
Operations
Key Products, Services and
Business Processes
2.3
Business areas and operational structure
2.4
Location of organiz ation’s headquarters
2.5
Countries in which the organiz ation’s major operations
are located
2.6
Nature of ownership
Legal Structure
Legal Structure
Sales and Production Sites
Group Structure and
Operations
Legal Structure
Shareholder Structure
2.7
Markets
Group Structure and
Operations
Key Products, Services and
Business Processes
Major Markets and
Competitive Positions
2.8
Scale of the reporting organiz ation
WACKER at a Glance
Group Structure and
Operations
External Sales by Customer
Headquarters
Shareholder Structure
Headcount Trend
2.9
Significant changes during the reporting period
Production Site in Hikari Shut
Down
Key Events Affecting
Business Performance
124
Degree of
Compliance
2.10 Awards received in the reporting period
Info
Awards and Priz es
Environmental Awards
Practiced Safety
Vocational Training
Equal Opportunity
Compensation and Social
Benefits
Neighbors
3.
Report Parameters
Report Profile
3.1
Reporting period
About this Report
3.2
Date of most recent previous report
About this Report
3.3
Reporting cycle
About this Report
3.4
Contact for questions regarding the report
Contact
Report Scope and Limitations
3.5
Process for defining report content
About this Report
3.6
Boundary of the report
About this Report
3.7
Limitations on the scope of the report
About this Report
3.8
Joint Ventures. Tochterunternehmen. Outsourcing
3.9
Data measurement techniques
About this Report
Controlled Documents and
Controlling Instruments
Environmental Performance
Assessment
Air
Environmental Assessments
Prevention
3.10 Effect of any re-statements of information
provided in earlier reports
3.11 Changes in the scope and boundary of the report
or in the measurement methods applied
Emissions to Air, Business
Divisions / Metallurgy
Air
Workplace Accidents Involving
Permanent Staff
and Temporary Workers
Permanent and Fixed-Term
Employees
Employee Turnover Rates
Occupational Diseases
3.12 GRI index in tabular form with page numbers
GRI Indicators
3.13 Assurance: external assurance for the report
This report has not been
assured by external third
parties.
4.
Governance, Commitments and Engagement
Governance
4.1
Governance structure
4.2
Independence of the Supervisory Board chairman
4.3
Governance body and/or independent members of
management
Work in the Committees
125
Degree of
Compliance
4.4
Mechanisms for shareholders and employees to provide
recommendations to the Executive Board or
Supervisory Board
Info
Idea Management
WACKER Communicates
Closely with Capital Markets
Shareholders and Annual
Shareholders’ Meeting
4.5
Linkage between Executive Board compensation and the
organiz ation’s performance
4.6
Processes in place for the governance bodies to ensure
avoidance of conflicts of interest
4.7
Expertise of the governance bodies in sustainability
issues
Compensation Report
Compliance
Corporate Governance
Report and Declaration on
Corporate Management
Management Structures
for Sustainability
Targets for Supervisory
Board Composition
4.8
Mission statements, corporate values and codes of
conduct
Vision and Goals
Business Principles
4.9
Procedures of the Executive Board and Supervisory
Board for overseeing sustainability performance
for Sustainability
Management Systems
4.10 Processes for evaluating the performance of the
Executive Board
Corporate Governance
Commitments to External Initiatives
4.11 Implementation of the precautionary principle
Prevention
Risk Management Report
4.12 Support of external initiatives
Air
Product Safety
Politics and NGOs
4.13 Principal memberships in industry and business
associations
Dialogue and Awards
Transport Safety
TUIS: Accident Assistance
Politics and NGOs
Stakeholder Engagement
4.14 Stakeholder groups engaged by the organiz ation
4.15 Selection of stakeholders
About this Report
4.16 Approaches to stakeholder engagement (type/frequency)
4.17 Statements on key topics and concerns raised by
stakeholders
126
Degree of
Compliance
5.
Info
Performance Indicators
Economic
Management approach
Group Structure and
Operations
Vision and Goals
for Sustainability
Neighbors
Aspect: Economic Performance
EC1 Direct economic value generated and distributed
KPIs
WACKER’s Donations and
Sponsorships
Statement of Income of the
WACKER Group
Note 03 – Income Taxes
EC2 Financial implications of climate change
1
Environmental Performance
Assessment
Energy
Air
General Sector-Specific
Conditions
Opportunities Report
EC3 Company’s defined benefit plan obligations
Benefits
Note 13 – Provisions for
Pensions
EC4 Financial assistance received from government
Publicly Funded Research
Projects
Aspect: Market Presence
EC6 Spending on locally-based suppliers
Customer and Supplier
Management
Regional Procurement
EC7 Senior management hired from the local community
Equal Opportunity
Aspect: Indirect Economic Impacts
EC8 Infrastructure investments and services provided for
public benefit
Neighbors
127
Degree of
Compliance
Info
Environmental
Management approach
Goals & Outlook: Management;
Business Principles
for Sustainability
Management Systems
Compliance
Energy
Air
Investments and Projects for
Reducing Emissions to Air
Water
Waste
Nature Conservation
and Biodiversity
Product Stewardship
Aspect: Materials
EN1 Materials used by weight or volume
2
Water
Waste
Energy and Raw-Material
Procurement Volumes
at Prior-Year Level
EN2 Percentage of materials used that are
recycled input materials
Waste
Aspect: Energy
EN3 Direct energy consumption by primary energy sources
Energy Consumption
EN4 Indirect energy consumption by primary source
Energy Consumption
EN5 Energy savings
EN6 Energy-efficient products and services
Energy
Product Stewardship
Aspect: Water
EN8 Total water withdrawal by source
Water Consumption Tested
Using the Global Water Tool ©
EN9 Water sources significantly affected by withdrawal of
water.
Water Consumption Tested
Using the Global Water Tool ©
Aspect: Biodiversity
EN11 Use of land in protected areas
Nature Conservation
and Biodiversity
EN12 Significant impacts of activities in protected areas
Nature Conservation
and Biodiversity
EN14 Strategies on protecting biodiversity
Nature Conservation
and Biodiversity
Aspect: Emissions, Effluents, and Waste
EN16 Direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions
Air
EN17 Other relevant greenhouse gas emissions
(e.g. caused by business trips)
Air
EN18 Initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
EN19 Emissions of oz one-depleting substances by weight
Other Greenhouse Gases
128
Degree of
Compliance
EN20 NO x, SO x, and other significant air emissions by weight
Info
Emissions of Air Pollutants
EN21 Water discharge
Water Consumption / Emissions
to Water
EN22 Waste by type and disposal method
Waste
EN23 Releases of haz ardous substances by number and
volume
Aspect: Products and Services
EN26 Initiatives to mitigate environmental impacts of products
and services
EN27 Percentage of products and packaging that are reclaimed
Product Stewardship
3
Preventing Packaging and
Transport Waste
Reducing Shipment Routes
Aspect: Compliance
EN28 Fines/sanctions for non-compliance with environmental
laws and regulations
Compliance Cases
Aspect: Transport
EN29 Environmental impacts of transporting
Aspect: Overall
EN30 Environmental protection expenditures
Social Performance
Labor Practices
Management approach
Goals & Outlook:
Safety; Employees
Business Principles
for Sustainability
Management Systems
Prevention
Headcount Trend
Personnel Development
Demographic Change
Equal Opportunity
Health Management
Aspect: Employment
LA1 Total workforce by employment type and region
Headcount Trend
Part-Time Employees
LA2 Total employee turnover by age group, gender, and
region
Employee Turnover Rates
LA3 Benefits provided to full-time employees only
Benefits
Aspect: Labor / Management Relations
LA4 Percentage of employees covered by collective
bargaining agreements
LA5 Minimum notice period(s) regarding significant
operational changes
We act according to the German
Works Constitution Act (BetrVG).
It does not specify a quantified
minimum notice period.
129
Degree of
Compliance
Info
Aspect: Occupational Health and Safety
LA7 Injuries, absenteeism and work-related fatalities
Workplace Accidents Involving
Permanent Staff
and Temporary Workers
Employee Information
and Health Programs
LA8 Risk control and programs with respect to serious
diseases
Health Management
Health Programs
Pandemic-Preparedness Plan
Aspect: Training and Education
LA10 Hours of training by employee category
Advanced Training
LA11 Skills management and lifelong learning
Advanced Training
Managerial Staff
Demographic Change
LA12 Performance and career development reviews
Advanced Training
Aspect: Diversity and Equal Opportunity
LA13 Composition of senior management and employee
structure
(e.g. age/gender/culture)
Demographic Change
Equal Opportunity
Executive Board
Targets for Supervisory
Board Composition
LA14 Compensation by gender and employee category
Ratio of Women’s Annual
Salaries to Men’s
Human Rights
Management approach
Business Principles
for Sustainability
Management
Equal Opportunity
Neighbors
Aspect: Investment and Procurement Practices
HR1 Investment agreements that include human rights
clauses or screening
HR2 Percentage of suppliers that have undergone screening
on human rights and actions taken
Management
4
Management
Aspect: Non-Discrimination
HR4 Incidents of discrimination and actions taken
Equal Opportunity
Aspect: Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining
HR5 Operations that may be at significant risk
5
Aspect: Child Labor
HR6 Operations with significant risk and measures taken
6
Business Principles
Management
130
Degree of
Compliance
Info
7
Aspect: Forced and Compulsory Labor
HR7 Operations with significant risk and measures taken
Business Principles
Management
Society
Management approach
Business Principles
for Sustainability
Compliance
Politics and NGOs
Aspect: Community
SO1 Policy to manage impacts on local communities
Neighbors
Aspect: Corruption
SO2 Percentage and number of business units analyz ed
SO3 Percentage of employees trained in anticorruption procedures
SO4 Actions taken in response to incidents of corruption
Compliance Cases
Compliance Cases
Compliance
Aspect: Public Policy
SO5 Public policy positions and participation in public
policy development and lobbying
SO6 Total value of financial contributions to political parties,
politicians, etc.
Politics and NGOs
Aspect: Anti-Competitive Behavior
SO7 Legal actions for anti-competitive behavior
Compliance Cases
Aspect: Compliance
SO8 Fines/sanctions for non-compliance with
laws and regulations
Compliance Cases
Product Responsibility (Product Stewardship)
Management approach
Goals & Outlook: Products
Business Principles
for Sustainability
Compliance
Product Safety
Aspect: Customer Health and Safety
PR1 Product life cycle stages for which health and safety
impacts are assessed
Product Safety
Aspect: Product and Service Labeling
PR3 Principles /procedures related to product and
service information
PR5 Customer satisfaction
Product Safety
Management
Aspect: Marketing Communications
PR6 Programs for adherence to laws and voluntary codes
related to marketing communications
Product Advertising
Aspect: Compliance
PR9 Significant fines for non-compliance with laws and
regulations concerning the use of products and services
Compliance Cases
131
This indicator is fully complied with.
This indicator is partially complied with.
Annual Report 2012
Additional indicators are printed in gray.
Every single core indicator is presented. Gaps in numeration need to be attributed to the fact that only
relevant additional indicators are presented in the index.
1
We do not report these implications, because they are not applicable. Apart from being highly complex, the quantification of
such data is subject to factors beyond our control (e.g. pricing trends). We will thus still be unable to quantify these data in the
future.
2
We currently do not report the weight or volume of the materials used, because the data are confidential.
3
We currently only report these data partially, because the percentage has no bearing on our business and it would be too
complex to collate data.
4
We currently do not report the percentage; we are working to anchor sustainability in the supply chain more firmly.
5
We do not report this aspect further, because, in general, we give our employees the opportunity to organiz e themselves as labor
unions.
6
We do not report this aspect further, because our employment process and the conditions set down in our groupwide Code of
Teamwork & Leadership ensure that no child labor is used.
7
We do not report this aspect further, because our employment process and the conditions set down in our groupwide Code of
Teamwork & Leadership ensure that no forced or compulsory labor is used.
GRI Application Level
C
C+
B
B+
A
A+
Self Declared
Third Party Checked
GRI Checked
132
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Glossary
A
Al kyl ph e n o l e th o xyl a te s (APEOs)
The primary biodegradability of nonionic alkylphenol ethoxylate (APEO) surfactants meets the demands
imposed by environmental protection agencies. However, the intermediate products formed during
biodegradation are relatively persistent and much more toxic to fish than are the surfactants themselves.
B
Bi o a va i l a bi l i ty
Bioavailability is a term that describes the proportion of an active ingredient which has made its way
unchanged into the bloodstream. It indicates how fast a substance (e.g. pharmaceutical) is absorbed and how
much of it is available at the site of action.
Bi o d i ve rsi ty
In 1992, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development passed the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD). This convention addresses the preservation of biological diversity (genes, species
and habitats), the sustainable exploitation of such diversity, as well as access rules to, and the sharing of
benefits from, genetic resources (access and benefit sharing). So far, the CBD has been signed by 168
countries and the EU (with Germany becoming a signatory in 1993). In May 2011, the EU Commission
published a biodiversity strategy to 2020.
Bi o te ch n o l o g y
Biotech processes use living cells or enzymes to transform and produce substances. Depending on the
application, a distinction is made between red, green and white biotechnology. Red biotechnology: medicinalpharmaceutical applications. Green biotechnology: agricultural applications. White biotechnology: biotechbased products and industrial processes, e.g. in the chemical, textile and food industries.
C
C a rbo n d i o xi d e (C O 2)
This gas naturally constitutes 0.04% of air. Carbon dioxide is generated during the combustion of coal, natural
gas and other organic substances. As a greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, it contributes to global warming.
Since the start of industrialization (circa 1850), its concentration in air has risen from approx. 300 to 390 ppm
(parts per million). This value is increasing by around 2 ppm every year.
C h e m i ca l o xyg e n d e m a n d (C OD )
COD is a measure of wastewater contamination. This parameter defines the amount of oxygen necessary to
fully oxidize all organic material in wastewater.
C h l o ri n a te d h yd ro ca rbo n s (C H C s)
Organic compounds containing chlorine. They are used, for example, in the manufacture of plastics and
solvents. CHCs are chemically stable and fat-soluble; some of them are environmental toxins.
C h l o ro si l a n e s
Compounds of silicon, chlorine and hydrogen. The semiconductor industry mainly uses trichlorosilane to make
polysilicon and for the epitaxial deposition of silicon.
C o m bi n e d h e a t a n d po w e r pl a n t
Combined heat and power (CHP) plants generate both electricity and useful heat. This system can be much
more efficient at using the input energy (e.g. fuel oil or natural gas) than are conventional systems with
separate facilities. Because primary energy is conserved, CHP plants emit significantly less carbon dioxide than
conventional power plants.
C ycl o d e xtri n s
Cyclodextrins belong to the family of cyclic oligosaccharides (i.e. ring-shaped sugar molecules). They are able
to encapsulate foreign substances such as fragrances and to release active ingredients at a controlled rate.
WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS produces and markets cyclodextrins.
C yste i n e
Cysteine is a sulfur-containing amino acid. It belongs to the non-essential amino acids, as it can be formed in
the body. It is used, for example, as an additive in food and cough mixtures. Cysteine and its derivatives are a
business field at WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS.
134
D
D i spe rsi bl e po l ym e r po w d e rs
Created by drying dispersions in spray or disc dryers. VINNAPAS® polymer powders from WACKER are
recommended as binders in the construction industry, e.g. for tile adhesives, self-leveling compounds and
repair mortars. The powders improve adhesion, cohesion, flexibility and flexural strength, as well as waterretention and processing properties.
D i spe rsi o n
Binary system in which one component is finely dispersed in another. VINNAPAS® dispersions from
WACKER are vinyl-acetate-based binary copolymers and terpolymers in liquid form. They are mainly
used as binders in the construction industry, e.g. for grouts, plasters and primers.
D i sti l l a ti o n
Distillation is used to separate the components of liquid mixtures. The process is based on differences in the
liquids’ boiling points.
E
El a sto m e rs
Polymers that exhibit almost perfectly elastic behavior: i.e. they deform when acted upon by an external force
and return to their exact original shape when the force is removed. While the duration of the force has no effect
on perfectly elastic behavior, the temperature does.
Eth yl e n e
Ethylene is a colorless, slightly sweet-smelling gas that, under normal conditions, is lighter than air. It is
needed as a chemical starting product for a great many synthetic materials, including polyethylene and
polystyrene. It is used to make products for the household, agricultural and automotive sectors, among others.
For environmental and safety reasons, ethylene is transported through pipelines.
Exte ri o r i n su l a ti o n a n d fi n i sh syste m s (EIFS) / e xte rn a l th e rm a l i n su l a ti o n co m po si te syste m s
(ETIC S)
Systems for thermally insulating buildings and thus for increasing energy efficiency. They are made up of a
combination of materials: adhesive mortar, insulation board, base coat, glass fiber mesh and finish coat.
VINNAPAS® polymer powders from WACKER POLYMERS ensure that the insulation material bonds firmly to
the mortar and finish coat. As a result, the insulating system offers greater durability and much more resistance
to weathering and wear.
G
G l o ba l Pro d u ct Stra te g y (G PS)
The Global Product Strategy (GPS) – an initiative developed by the International Council of Chemical
Associations – contains rules for the assessment of the properties of chemicals and on how to provide
information on their safe use.
G re e n h o u se G a s (G H G ) Pro to co l
The GHG Protocol is an internationally recognized instrument for quantifying and controlling greenhouse gas
emissions. The standards outlined in the GHG Protocol have been jointly developed by the World Business
Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the World Resources Institute (WRI) since 1998. The GHG
Protocol specifies how an organization should calculate its greenhouse gas emissions and how emissionreducing programs should be conducted.
H
H e xa ch l o ro bu ta d i e n e (H C BD )
A chlorinated organic compound which, at room temperature, is a colorless liquid with a mild odor. It occurs as
a byproduct in certain chemical production and combustion processes, such as the synthesis of
tetrachloroethene, trichloroethene or carbon tetrachloride. The EU’s water framework directive classifies HCBD
as hazardous. The results of the European Emission Inventory show that most of the reported emissions
originate from bulk production of basic organic chemicals.
H ybri d po l ym e rs
Materials created by chemically linking silicones and organic polymers. They combine the typical properties of
both substance classes.
135
H yd ro g e n ch l o ri d e (H C l )
The chemical industry uses HCl to generate valuable intermediates from organic and inorganic raw materials.
The colorless gas dissolves in water to form hydrochloric acid.
I
IPC C Fo u rth Asse ssm e n t R e po rt
In 1990, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) started issuing reports that
summarized scientific knowledge on global warming. The 2007 Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) is the most
recent in the series. Published every five to six years, these IPCC reports provide information about the human
impact on climate.
P
Pe rfo rm a n ce co n te n t
Part of the fixed salary which compensates the employee in respect of enduring expertise and performance.
Po l ym e r
A polymer is a large molecule made up of smaller molecular units (monomers). It contains between 10,000
and 100,000 monomers. Polymers can be long or ball-shaped.
Po l ysi l i co n
Hyperpure polycrystalline silicon from WACKER POLYSILICON is used for manufacturing wafers for the
electronics and solar industries. To produce it, metallurgical-grade silicon is converted into liquid
trichlorosilane, highly distilled and deposited in hyperpure form at 1,000 °C.
Pri m a ry e n e rg y
Primary energy is obtained from naturally occurring sources such as coal, gas or wind. Secondary energy, in
contrast, is derived from primary energy via a transformation process (which often involves energy losses);
examples include electricity, heat and hydrogen.
S
Se m i co n d u cto r
A substance whose electrical conductivity is much lower than that of metals, but increases dramatically as the
temperature rises. Semiconductors can be modified for a particular purpose by doping with foreign atoms.
Si l a n e s
Silanes are used as monomers for the synthesis of siloxanes or sold directly as reagents or raw materials.
Typical applications include surface treatment, reagents in pharmaceutical synthesis or coupling agents for
coatings.
Si l i ca
Collective term for compounds with the general formula SiO2 • nH 2O. Synthetic silicas are obtained from
sand. Based on their method of production, a distinction is made between precipitated silicas and
pyrogenic silicas (such as HDK®).
Si l i ca , pyro g e n i c
White, synthetic, amorphous silicon dioxide (SiO2) in powder form, made by flame hydrolysis of silicon
compounds. Variously used as an additive for silicone rubber grades, sealants, surface coatings,
pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
Si l i co n
After oxygen, silicon is the most common element on the earth’s crust. In nature, it occurs without exception in
the form of compounds, chiefly silicon dioxide and silicates. Silicon is obtained through energy-intensive
reaction of quartz sand with carbon and is the most important raw material in the electronics industry.
Si l i co n w a fe r
A silicon wafer is a disc with a thickness of between approximately 200 and 800 µm, and is used by the
semiconductor industry for the manufacture of semiconductor devices, i.e. integrated circuits and discrete
components.
Si l i co n e s
General term used to describe compounds of organic molecules and silicon. According to their areas of
application, silicones can be classified as fluids, resins or rubber grades. Silicones are characterized by a
myriad of outstanding properties. Typical areas of application include construction, the electrical and electronics
industries, shipping and transportation, textiles and paper coatings.
136
Si l o xa n e s
Systematic name given to compounds comprising silicon atoms linked together via oxygen atoms and with the
remaining valences occupied by hydrogen or organic groups. Siloxanes are the building blocks for the
polymers (polysiloxane and polyorganosiloxane) that form silicones.
V
VIN N APAS ®
WACKER’s brand name for dispersions, dispersible polymer powders, solid resins and their associated product
solutions. VINNAPAS® dispersions and polymer powders are primarily used in the construction industry as
polymeric binders, e.g. in tile adhesives, exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS)/external thermal
insulation composite systems (ETICS), self-leveling compounds, and plasters.
Vo l a ti l e o rg a n i c co m po u n d s (VOC s)
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are gaseous and vaporous substances of organic origin that are present in
the air. They include hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes and organic acids. Solvents, liquid fuels and synthetic
substances can be VOCs, and so can organic compounds originating from biological processes. High VOC
concentrations can be irritating to the eyes, nose and throat and may cause headaches, dizziness and
tiredness.
W
Wa cke r Ope ra ti n g Syste m (WOS)
The “Wacker Operating System” (WOS) program bundles, promotes and processes corporate projects for
systematic process improvement. It is the basis for a groupwide improvement initiative by WACKER.
137
Contact
Corporate Sustainability
Dr. Jutta Matreux
Wacker Chemie AG
Johannes-Hess-Straße 24
84489 Burghausen, Germany
Tel. +49 8677 83-86321
[email protected]
Corporate Communications
Joachim Zdzieblo
Wacker Chemie AG
Hanns-Seidel-Platz 4
81737 München, Germany
Tel. +49 89 6279-1165
[email protected]
Imprint
Publisher
Wacker Chemie AG
Corporate Communications
Hanns-Seidel-Platz 4
81737 München, Germany
Tel.: +49 89 6279-0
Fax: +49 89 6279-1770
www.wacker.com
[email protected]
Executive Board
Dr. Rudolf Staudigl (President & CEO)
Dr. Tobias Ohler
Dr. Joachim Rauhut
Auguste Willems
Commercial Register Court
District Court: München
HRB 159705
Sales Tax ID No.: DE129275094
Online Layout and PDF Design
nexxar GmbH, Vienna, Austria
www.nexxar.com

Sustainability Report 2011/2012

Transcription

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