Belgian material supplier Solvay SA expects its nylon production activities to be temporarily impacted by the severe drop in water levels along the Rhine and Rhone rivers following the persistent heat and drought in Central Europe.
The company, which has three nylon production sites in French towns of Chalampé (Haut-Rhin), Lyon and Valence, said the situation was "affecting raw materials supplies and is generating production losses of intermediates required for the company's nylon and isocyanate chains."
Solvay said it expected that may not be able to honor all its confirmed orders for adiponitrile, hexamethylene diamine, nylon salt and adipic acid as well as certain nylon resins, fibers and compounds over the coming days and weeks.
Earlier in August, German chemical giant BASF SE, with production in Ludwigshafen, announced that it would have to cut back part of its production due to the low level of the Rhine, but did not reveal which products are affected.
BASF explained that there are legal restrictions on how much water it can take from the Rhine for cooling its plants, with the result that not all of its plants can be sufficiently cooled for them to operate at full output.
Solvay and BASF are currently in talks over the sale of Solvay's nylon business to the German supplier.