Cause for concern! What will happen to the industrial base of Europe going forward? Is excessive environmentalism to blame, e.g. not in my backyard (NIMBY)?
"The last few weeks have been a tough time for basic chemicals manufacturing in the UK and Europe.
Sabic has reversed its decision to refit and re-open its olefins cracker in Teesside, UK;
Prax group, operator of the UK’s Lindsey oil refinery on the banks of the Humber river, has entered administration; and
Dow Chemical has confirmed that it will close three European chemicals sites by the end of 2027 – an ethylene cracker in Böhlen, Germany, a chlor-alkali and vinyls plant in Schkopau, Germany, and a basic siloxanes plant in Barry, UK. ...
But basic chemicals are the foundation of huge swathes of manufacturing industry, and their closures will have significant long- and short-term impacts on regional production networks. As global trade is disrupted by political trade wars, relying on imports becomes a vulnerability. Efforts in China to boost domestic production (including significant state support) as well as the Middle East’s push to make more higher-value petrochemicals – rather than exporting crude oil – have exacerbated pressure on Europe’s aging plants. ..."
Cracking under pressure | Opinion | Chemistry World "Basic chemical plant closures highlight strain on European industry"
