Total and AkzoNobel shutting down facilities in Europe

One spot of unfortunate news in European chemical manufacturing in this week's C&EN, from Alex Tullo:

Total, one of Europe’s largest oil companies, will close its ethylene cracker in Carling, in northern France, and AkzoNobel will end production of organic peroxides in Deventer, the Netherlands. Both closures are driven by overcapacity in European chemical markets combined with growing international competition. Total says it will shut its Carling cracker in the second half of 2015 but will invest more than $200 million to enhance hydrocarbon resin and polymer production as well as associated R&D at the site. The closure will result in a net loss of 210 jobs. Meanwhile, AkzoNobel will cease organic peroxide production in Deventer by the end of 2016, eliminating 215 jobs. “Global demand patterns for organic peroxides are trending away from mature markets in Europe and becoming increasingly concentrated in Asia and North America,” says Werner Fuhrmann, head of specialty chemicals at AkzoNobel.

Best wishes for all involved.