Tarragona, Spain — Covestro has announced it will continue making MDI in Tarragona, reversing a decision to close the plant.
The closure has been "suspended for the time being," the company said because it has been able to secure a supply of chlorine beyond the end of 2017.
Covestro announced in 2015 that it was going to close its Tarragona site by the end of 2017 because it was unable to source sufficient chlorine, a key raw material in MDI production.
"This is good news for the Tarragona site and our employees. We want to reliably meet our customers’ growth further on," said Andrea Firenze, managing director of Covestro in Spain.
Covestro used the announcement to reiterate its commitment to optimisation of production worldwide with the goal of operating the most efficient facilities compared to competitors.
Markus Steileman, head of the polyurethanes business unit at Covestro, confirmed that Covestro is committed to increasing MDI production at Brunsbuttel, Germany.
He said the Tarragona decision "is a clear statement that we remain committed to the MDI market. We will investigate various options for additional MDI to cover the growing demand.”
