ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS — LyondellBasell Industries will shut a high density polyethylene (HDPE) unit in Wesseling, Germany, in the third quarter of 2013. The Rotterdam-based company has closed around 2.5 billion pounds of capacity in Europe in recent years and cut headcount by 30 percent.
The 100,000 metric tons per year unit is among the smallest and least efficient of its HDPE operations in Europe. The company has sufficient HDPE capacity to meet customer needs from its larger scale facilities, it added.
"LyondellBasell continues to take definitive steps to reorganise our operations in Europe to increase efficiency, reduce costs and improve the competitiveness of our businesses," said Bob Patel, senior vice-president, olefins and polyolefins, Europe, Asia and International.
"The closure of under-competitive assets, along with the restructuring and efficiency-improvement initiatives in our business areas, manufacturing and R&D, will better position LyondellBasell to compete in today's economic environment."