TotalEnergies has announced plans to close one of the two crackers at its integrated refining and petrochemicals complex in Antwerp, Belgium by the end of 2027.
The Antwerp complex is "facing considerable overcapacity in the petrochemicals market", the firm said.
The company does not expect to close any downstream petrochemical units at Antwerp and stressed that the cracker is not integrated into its own downstream polymer production. Rather, its exposure to the merchant market has contributed to the closure, with the company highlighting the non-renewal of a major third-party ethylene contract by the end of 2027 as the main driver for the announcement.
The unit marked for closure has a nameplate ethylene capacity of 570,000 t/yr and propylene capacity of 255,000 t/yr. It mainly runs on naphtha but has some flexibility to use propane and butane as feedstock. The planned closure will come shortly after the expected start-up of a new 1.45mn t/yr ethane cracker in Antwerp being built by UK-based Ineos.
TotalEnergies said it will focus on its other Antwerp cracker, which has 600,000 t/yr of ethylene capacity and is fully integrated with similar-capacity polyethylene units at Antwerp and Feluy. While the closure will not impact TotalEnergies' internal ethylene balance, it will tighten internal propylene supply for the company's 930,000 t/yr polypropylene capacity at Feluy.
The cracker closure is part of wider plans for the Antwerp complex announced today, which include wind power, electrification and battery storages and sustainable aviation fuel production.
