Even though the site’s styrene and polystyrene plants are due to be closed by the end of the year – see Plasteurope.com of 20.03.2012 – Ineos (Rolle / Switzerland; www.ineos.com) plans to continue operating the remaining lines in Marl / Germany. A company spokeswoman told Plasteurope.com that the Rolle-based group would hold on to its 260,000 t/y cumene plant as well as its 110,000 t/y EPS line at the site. To date, the latter had been fed with styrene produced in Marl, a job which in future will probably be assumed by joint venture partner BASF (Ludwigshafen / Germany; www.basf.com) or Shell Chemicals (London / UK; www.shellchemicals.com).

It also remains unclear whether Ineos Styrenics‘ four European EPS plants will be consolidated. Ineos did not comment on a relevant Plasteurope.com query. However, sources close to the company said the Marl EPS line will likely continue operations “for now”. Aside from Marl, Ineos also runs EPS production facilities in Breda / The Netherlands as well as Ribécourt and Wingles – both in France.