April 23, 2025 17:38

TotalEnergies has announced plans to shut down one of its two steam crackers at the Antwerp site by the end of 2027.

The unit slated for closure is the older of the two, historically tied to a supply agreement with a third-party customer—a contract that will not be renewed, leaving the unit without an outlet for its output, which is not needed for internal group operations.

According to the French energy group, the move responds to a structural oversupply of ethylene on the European market.

By decommissioning the older cracker, TotalEnergies will focus operations on its more modern unit, whose ethylene production is fully integrated into the supply chain of its Antwerp and Feluy plants.

“By adapting and investing regularly in our Antwerp site, we’re securing its long-term future and ensuring that this integrated refining and petrochemicals platform remains TotalEnergies’ most efficient in Europe. Whether the aim is to meet market challenges or contribute to decarbonization and the energy transition, the platform can be reconfigured so that it remains competitive and continues to provide jobs well into the future,” said Ann Veraverbeke, managing director of TotalEnergies Antwerp.

The closure will not result in layoffs. The 253 employees impacted by the shutdown will be offered reassignment within the company or early retirement. The project, the company notes, is subject to the outcome of a consultation process with labor unions, set to begin by the end of the month.

The Antwerp site, a strategic industrial platform for the group for more than 75 years, is slated for investments aimed at decarbonizing operations. Plans include the production of green hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and battery-based energy storage systems.

TotalEnergies’ Antwerp refinery and petrochemical platform is its largest integrated complex in Europe. It includes the continent’s third-largest refinery—with a capacity of 338,000 barrels per day—alongside petrochemical and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plants.
Two pipelines also run from the site, transporting up to 6 million tonnes of ethylene and propylene annually to the polymer facility in Feluy, Belgium.

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