Mexico City — Boston-based Cabot Corp., which makes carbon black additives at its facility in Altamira, Mexico, said June 27 it expects to resume full operations at the plant within a few days as a severe drought in northeastern Mexico continues to ease.
"We are actively working to restore full operations and expect to achieve this within a few days," a spokesperson for the company told Plastics News in an email.
On June 14 the spokesperson had told PN the plant was operating under force majeure sales limitations.
According to consulting firm Everstream Analytics of San Marcos, Calif., authorities in Altamira had halted water supplies to at least 74 industrial sites and eight petrochemical plants on May 22 because of water shortages.
Global resin maker Ineos Styrolution, headquartered in Frankfurt, also declared force majeure on its contracts related to its plant in Altamira. It has not mentioned the situation at the facility since announcing the force majeure measure in the third week of May.
On June 24 Chemours Co. said it had resumed normal operations at its titanium dioxide (TiO2) manufacturing facility in Altamira. The Wilmington, Del.-based company paused production at the site in the state of Tamaulipas on May 31.
The drought has been one of the worst to hit Mexico over the past five decades. However, tropical storm Alberto drenched Altamira and surrounding areas between June 19-21 and more heavy rain is forecast in the coming weeks.