Covestro announced Oct. 15 that it proposes to consolidate polycarbonate production at its Antwerp site in Belgium from four operational lines to one and discontinue production of PC feedstock bisphenol-A.
The facility has a PC nameplate capacity of 240,000 tonnes per year, while BPA capacity is estimated at about 245,000 tonnes per year, according to S&P Global Energy CERA data. The restructuring could affect up to 260 of the site's roughly 970 employees.
Covestro said the PC operations at Antwerp have been increasingly loss-making since 2022, driven by weak European demand, high energy and production costs, and a wave of new capacity in Asia that created persistent global overcapacity in standard PC grades.
The company has launched a formal information and consultation process with employee representatives under Belgian law, with no final decision until the process is completed.
The single remaining PC line will focus on higher-value specialty grades. Covestro said a previously announced investment in a new aniline production unit at Antwerp will proceed as planned, and its polyether lines and technology center are unaffected.
Platts assessed DDP Northwest Europe BPA at €1,770 per tonne on Oct. 13, while PC extrusion grade was assessed at €2,000 per tonne and GP molding grade at €2,300 per tonne on Oct. 14.
