According to ChemOrbis Supply Wizard data published on October 7, 2026, affected capacity includes 5.18 million t/y of ethylene, 2.12 million t/y of propylene, 965,000 t/y of PP, 535,000 t/y of PE, 675,000 t/y of S-PVC, 629,000 t/y of VCM and 825,000 t/y of EDC.
Olefins have borne the brunt, reflecting pressure on Europe's ageing, largely naphtha-based cracker fleet. The closure wave has included assets of SABIC, ExxonMobil, Versalis and LyondellBasell, with further shutdowns at Dow, TotalEnergies and Versalis scheduled through 2027.
The latest addition came on September 29, when Westlake announced it would permanently close its Cologne PVC plant in Q1 2027, citing weak demand, high energy costs and import pressure. Westlake had earlier acquired Vynova's Wilhelmshaven operations, including about 380,000 t/y of PVC capacity.
Completed or agreed ownership changes exceed 10 million t/y of capacity, including LyondellBasell's European portfolio to AEQUITA/Velogy, SABIC's European petrochemicals to AEQUITA (EC approval September 3), Vynova Runcorn to INEOS Inovyn, BP Gelsenkirchen to Klesch and Grupa Azoty Police's PDH/PP unit to Orlen.
More than 4 million t/y of identifiable olefins, PE and vinyls capacity remains under review or potential sale, excluding Shell, whose potential divestment perimeter has not been disclosed.
Insights / Supply Chain
Supply ChainEurope's petrochemical restructuring nears 11 million t/y of capacity cuts
Close to 11 million tonnes/year of European olefins, polyolefins and vinyls capacity has been closed, idled or earmarked for closure since 2024, with more than 10 million t/y changing hands.
