European politicians must decide if they want to save the region’s chemical industry as the wave of energy-intensive closures continues.
- Dow to close cracker at Bohlen, Germany plus two other sites with loss of 800 jobs
- More than 5 million tonnes/year of ethylene capacity now under threat in Europe
- Industry still faces high energy costs, regulatory burdens, unfair competition
- China will continue to add capacity at least to 2030
- China chemical plants running at higher-than-expected operating rates
- Importing ethylene and propylene can be expensive
- Political support will be vital to save Europe’s chemical industry
- New US tariffs may see two-tier chemical markets emerge in Asia
- Uncertainty and chaos likely to persist
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