Donau Chemie

What Donau Chemie does

Donau Chemie Aktiengesellschaft is an Austrian specialty inorganic chemicals manufacturer founded in 1828 and headquartered in Vienna. The company operates three production facilities in Brückl (chlor-alkali electrolysis and derivatives), Pischelsdorf (sulphuric acid via double catalysis, and Europe's first sulfamic acid plant), and Landeck (calcium carbide, powered by its own hydroelectric plant). Its core product portfolio spans chlorine, caustic soda, sodium hypochlorite, hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid, sulfamic acid, and calcium carbide, serving industrial customers, municipalities and water utilities, steel and gas industries, and the broader chemical sector (including pulp/paper and pharmaceuticals).

The company employs proprietary membrane electrolysis and double catalysis technologies, with sustainability anchored by hydroelectric power and waste heat recovery reducing CO2 emissions by 43,000 tonnes annually. It holds market leadership in Austrian sulphuric acid and is the only European producer of certain sulfamic acid grades. Revenue is generated through direct enterprise sales of bulk chemical products (minimum orders 12-21 tons), with smaller-quantity distribution routed through sister company Donauchem GmbH. The group structure also encompasses Donau Carbon (activated carbon) and Donau Chemie Water Technology (water treatment solutions, including the Donau Evolution sub-brand for precipitation and flocculation agents).

The business model is asset-heavy industrial manufacturing with quote-based B2B pricing, REACH and Responsible Care compliance, and horizontal segmentation across multiple industrial verticals. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales with a sister-company distribution channel for mid-market buyers, supported by technical application consulting and laboratory services. The firm is privately held as an Austrian Aktiengesellschaft with no disclosed external investors, funding rounds, M&A activity, or public listing.

Name

Donau Chemie

Legal name

Donau Chemie Aktiengesellschaft

Website

https://donau-chemie.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1828

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Donau Chemie Aktiengesellschaft is an Austrian manufacturer of inorganic basic chemicals (chlorine, caustic soda, sulphuric acid, sulfamic acid, calcium carbide) operating three plants, serving industrial customers, municipalities, and water utilities across Europe via direct bulk sales and sister-company distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Inorganic Basic Chemicals Manufacturing

NAICS

Other Basic Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing (325180), Basic Chemical Manufacturing (3251), Chemical Manufacturing (325)

SIC

Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Inorganic Commodity Chemicals (Acids, Alkalis, Salts) (IMAEAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Treatment & Process Specialty Chemicals (IMAEABAN), Coagulants, Flocculants & Dewatering Aids (IMAEAJAM), Industrial Wastewater Treatment Chemicals (IMAEAJAC), Municipal Wastewater & Sewage Treatment Chemicals (IMAEAJAB)

Keywords

• Inorganic chemicals manufacturing
• Chlor-alkali electrolysis
• Water treatment chemicals
• Sulphuric acid production
• Calcium carbide production

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Inorganic Chemical Sales: Production and sale of inorganic basic chemicals including chlorine, caustic soda, sodium hypochlorite, hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid, sulfamic acid, and calcium carbide. Products sold to industrial customers, municipalities, and water treatment facilities with minimum order quantities typically 20-21 tons for bulk delivery.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Donau Chemie manufactures and supplies inorganic basic chemicals such as chlorine, caustic soda, sodium hypochlorite, hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid, sulfamic acid, and calcium carbide. These products serve water treatment, industrial synthesis, metal processing, pulp/paper, pharmaceutical, and steel industries, primarily sold in bulk to industrial and municipal customers.

Product overview

Donau Chemie is a chemical products company that manufactures and supplies inorganic basic chemicals for industrial applications. The company operates production facilities in Pischelsdorf, Brückl, and Landeck, Austria. Its core product portfolio includes Chlorine, Caustic Soda, Sodium Hypochlorite, Hydrochloric Acid, Sulphuric Acid, Sulfamic Acid, and Calcium Carbide. These products serve water treatment, chemical synthesis, metal processing, pulp/paper, pharmaceutical, and steel industries. The company also offers specialized solutions including Donau Evolution (precipitation agents), laboratory testing services, water analysis, and acid/mordanting agent recovery. Donau Chemie Water Technology division provides water treatment solutions including precipitation and flocculation agents for municipalities and industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Donau Evolution: Creative solutions product line featuring precipitation agents combined with biologically important additives for various industrial applications including water treatment, decolorization, and odor treatment.

Products and services

• Chlorine Industrial-grade chlorine produced via membrane chlor-alkali electrolysis, used for water disinfection, bleaching agents, PVC production, and hydrochloric acid manufacturing.
• Caustic Soda Sodium hydroxide solution produced via modern membrane process, used in chemical, paper, pulp industries, and aluminum production. Also available in flake form with ~98% NaOH content.
• Sodium Hypochlorite Sodium hypochlorite solution produced from chlorine gas and sodium hydroxide, used for disinfection, bleaching, and water treatment in pools and drinking water systems.
• Hydrochloric Acid Hydrogen chloride dissolved in water, produced by burning chlorine and hydrogen mixture. Used in ore processing, metal pickling, chemical analysis, and food industry applications. Available in multiple concentrations including 31%, 34%, and 37% in synthetic, chemical, and pharmaceutical qualities.
• Sulphuric Acid High-purity sulphuric acid produced at Pischelsdorf using double catalysis technology. Available in 94%, 96%, 98% and diluted concentrations (30-80%) in technical, Akku, special, and food/pharma grades. Used in chemical synthesis, neutralisation, pulp/paper, metal, and pharma industries.
• Sulfamic Acid High-purity sulfamic acid (amidosulfonic acid), Europe's first produced at Pischelsdorf. Available in technical (min. 99.5%) and premium (min. 99.8%) grades. Used in descaling, sanitary cleaners, plastics, sweetener industry, electroplating, and laboratories.
• Calcium Carbide Calcium carbide produced from coke and limestone at Landeck plant for over 100 years, primarily powered by hydroelectric energy. Used for acetylene gas production and pig iron desulfurization in steel industry. Available in various grain sizes from 0.1mm to 70mm.
• Donau Evolution Precipitation agents combined with biologically important additives for creative solutions in water treatment, odor treatment, decolorization, and industrial process improvements.
• Calcium Citrate E333 Calcium citrate E333 for automotive, manufacturing, and galvanisation applications.
• Calcifloc Flocculation agent for water treatment applications.
• Laboratory tests with the latest equipment Laboratory testing services using modern equipment for product analysis and quality assurance.
• Process and waste water analysis Water analysis services for process and waste water treatment, particularly for wood, paper and pulp industries.
• Recovery of used mordanting agents and used acids Recovery and recycling services for used mordanting agents and acids, supporting sustainable industrial processes.

Quantifiable outcome

• CO2 emissions reduced by 43,000 tonnes annually through waste heat recovery from sulphuric acid production

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Donauchem GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSister company handling distribution for smaller quantity orders. Donau Chemie refers customers requiring orders below minimum thresholds (typically 12-20 tons) to Donauchem GmbH for fulfillment.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kemira: Finnish-headquartered global leader in water-intensive chemistry, including coagulants, flocculants, and water treatment chemicals. Highly comparable to Donau Chemie's Water Technology division (Calcifloc, Donau Evolution precipitation/flocculation agents) serving municipalities and industry across Europe.
• Donauchem GmbH: Sister company of Donau Chemie within the Donau Chemie Group, distributing inorganic chemicals and providing smaller-quantity fulfillment. Closely comparable business model (inorganic chemicals distribution) but with smaller order sizes, making it an intra-group direct peer for mid-market chemical customers.
• Brenntag: Global chemical distribution leader serving industrial customers with inorganic chemicals, water treatment products, and specialty formulations. Comparable distribution model to Donauchem (Donau Chemie's sister company) and serves many of the same downstream end-markets.
• Vinnolit (Westlake): Westlake-owned PVC and chlor-alkali producer with significant German/European manufacturing footprint. Direct overlap with Donau Chemie's membrane electrolysis chlorine and caustic soda production for European PVC and chemical synthesis customers.
• Donau Carbon: Sister company within the Donau Chemie Group specializing in activated carbon products and services for water and air treatment. Closely adjacent business to Donau Chemie's water treatment division, often bundled for municipal and industrial customers within the same group structure.

Broad incumbents

• Solvay: Belgian global chemical major producing soda ash, caustic soda, hydrogen peroxide, and specialty silica. Comparable inorganic commodity portfolio (acids, alkalis) and broad European customer base, though at much greater scale than Donau Chemie.
• BASF: World's largest chemical company, producing a broad range of inorganic chemicals (chlorine, caustic soda, sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid) and serving virtually every industrial end-market. Overlaps with Donau Chemie's chlor-alkali and acid portfolio at a vastly larger scale.
• LANXESS: German specialty chemicals producer with significant inorganic and water treatment chemistry exposure (e.g., iron-based coagulants). Comparable customer overlap in European water and industrial markets, with broader product breadth.
• Arkema: French specialty chemicals producer with significant chlor-alkali, fluorochemicals, and advanced materials presence. Overlaps with Donau Chemie on chlor-alkali electrolysis technology and serves similar industrial customer bases across Europe.
• ICL Group: Israeli specialty chemicals producer with water treatment, bromine, and phosphate-based chemistry exposure. Comparable municipal water treatment chemistry and industrial inorganic product lines, though with broader geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Donau Chemie