A primary component of glass manufacture is soda ash, which uses up more than 50% of the soda ash produced globally. World soda ash production capacity growth between 2001-2006 was 2.5%pa. In comparison, world demand growth was 3.9%pa. In volume terms, it is estimated that world demand increased by 7.6m/t between 2001-2006. Largely, this increase came from China, where an increase in demand of 5.1m/t was seen compared to the rest of the world where demand increased at a more leisurely rate, around 2.5m/t. Soda ash is either mined from naturally occurring trona deposits or produced synthetically from salt and limestone. Large natural deposits occur only in some parts of the world. A few operations in China, and some in the African countries of Botswana & Kenya, but the majority of natural soda ash can be found in the USA, particularly Wyoming.
