Sabic to permanently close UK naphtha cracker

London – Saudi chemical company Sabic has confirmed it will permanently close its naphtha cracker at Wilton, Teesside, in northeast England, according to UK trade union Unite.

Operational since 1979, the Olefins 6 facility has been offline since the end of 2020 and was originally due to be converted to a gas cracker running entirely on gas feedstock.

In a 25 June statement, Unite said the closure will affect around 100 of its members, who have been 'keeping the plant safe and prepare it for a restart.'

The cracker has an ethylene capacity of 865 kilotonnes per year and includes a butadiene extraction unit.

Consultations over the closure of Olefins 6 are set to begin on 1 July.

In May, Sabic announced a review of its European assets, joining other industry players such as Dow, LyondellBasell, Shell and BP, which are also considering the restructuring or divestment of operations in the region.