January 28, 2026 09:27
It is a stark picture painted by The European Chemical Closures & Investments Radar 2022–2025 (downloadable with this article), a study commissioned by the European chemicals federation Cefic and produced by consultancy Roland Berger.
Across more than thirty pages of charts and data, the report lays bare the scale of the challenge facing the chemical industry on the continent. Since 2022, plant shutdowns have eliminated 37 million tonnes of capacity—almost 9% of Europe’s total—as well as 20,000 direct jobs.
On an annual basis, closures have surged from 2.9 million tonnes to 17.2 million tonnes per year, a sixfold increase.
The group is expanding its North Carolina site to support growth in liquid colours and additives for thermoplastics and polyurethanes.
