# Caustic soda: Feedstocks

Why electricity, not salt, sets the cost

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/caustic_soda/feedstocks/

What this tab covers What it is made from and what it feeds: the raw materials and energy per tonne with their share of cost (linked to the commodity table), who is low-cost and why, and the chemicals made from it.

Caustic soda shares chlorine's inputs: salt and electricity, plus steam to evaporate. Its supply is set by chlorine demand, not by its own price. Feedstock cost is shared across the ECU, so a producer's competitiveness depends on power price and on how well it can place its chlorine.

#### Inputs per tonne

| Input | Quantity per tonne | Role | Share of cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [NaCl Salt](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/salt/) | about 1.5 t per t NaOH | sodium source | about 10% (indicative) | EU BREF 2014 (indicative) |
| **Electricity** | about 2.2-2.5 MWh per t NaOH (share of ECU) | electrolysis | about 50-60% (indicative) | EU BREF 2014 (indicative) |
| [Gas Natural gas](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/natural_gas/) | 0.5-1 t steam per t (indicative) | evaporation to 50% and flaking | about 10% (indicative) | indicative |
| [Sda Soda ash](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/soda_ash/) | about 1.3 t per t NaOH | sodium source | dominant in that route | USGS MCS 2026 (stoichiometric) |

#### Who is low-cost, and why

US Gulf (cheap gas power), China (coal power) and the Middle East are lowest cost; NE Asia ex-China ran about $58 per ECU above China in Nov 2025, and NW Europe about $560 per ECU cash cost. Europe was the clear high-cost producer in 2022 at up to $1,640 per ECU.

#### Raw materials on the commodity table
[NaCl Salt](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/salt/)

#### What it is made into

| Product | Note |
|---|---|
| [Cl2 Chlorine](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/chlorine/) | co-product |
| [Srf Surfactants](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/surfactants/) | neutralises LAB sulphonic acid and saponifies fats |
| [VSF Viscose fibre](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/viscose/) | steeping of pulp in caustic |
| [Ssi Sodium silicate](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sodium_silicate/) | alternative to soda ash route |
| [PO Propylene oxide](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/propylene_oxide/) | chlorohydrin route consumes caustic or lime |
| [EPX Epoxy resins](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/epoxy/) | dehydrochlorination step |
| [CAM Battery cathode materials](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/cathode_materials/) | co-precipitation of NMC precursors |
| [Phe Phenol and acetone](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/phenol/) | minor uses |

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/caustic_soda/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/caustic_soda/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/caustic_soda/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/caustic_soda/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/caustic_soda/production/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/caustic_soda/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/caustic_soda/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/caustic_soda/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/caustic_soda/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/caustic_soda/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/caustic_soda/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/caustic_soda/links/index.md)