Trinseo "evaluating" certain German rubber assets

Berwyn Pennsylvania – Trinseo has initiated a consultation process with employee representatives to review the future of some of its rubber operations in Germany, the company announced 1 April.

The consultation, which Trinseo Deutschland started in March, includes the possible shutdown of the group’s styrene monomer plant in Boehlen and the mothballing of its polybutadiene rubber (nickel and neodymium-PBR) unit in Schkopau, the company explained in a 2 April statement to ERJ. 

According to the company, the combined adjusted EBITDA of the proposed operations came in at negative €16.4 million in the the year 2019. 

The Boehlen site in eastern Germany has the capacity to produce 300 kilotonnes per annum (ktpa) of styrene monomer, stated Trinseo. 

However, average production over the past three years has been at the 200ktpa mark, due to several factors, including upstream supply issues. 

In 2019, production at the unit was 150ktpa, reflecting the unplanned outages, said the Trinseo statement.

The polybutadiene rubber line in Schkopau has capacity of approximately 30ktpa. 

The unit was Trinseo’s nickel butadiene rubber production train, which was converted in late 2017 to manufacture Nd-BR.

Trinseo said it remains committed to its other operations at the Schkopau site, including polystyrene, solution-styrene butadiene rubber (SSBR) and emulsion-styrene butadiene rubber (ESBR).