Synthos will stop producing ESBR in the second quarter of 2023 due to unpredictable utility costs caused by the geopolitical situation and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Despite this, the company will remain the largest ESBR producer in Europe, focusing on other rubber products at its manufacturing sites in Poland and Germany.
Synthos announced that it will cease production of emulsion styrene butadiene rubber (ESBR) at its in the second quarter of 2023, said the company.
The company said it had made the decision due to unpredictable utility costs, which have led to an unsustainable market environment for ESBR for European producers; a direct result of the geopolitical situation and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to a company press release on 2 March.
E-SBR production has been reduced since September 2022 for commercial reasons. Synthos has a nameplate capacity of 110,000 tonnes of ESBR at Kralupy.
The company said it has taken the decision to indefinitely cease production of ESBR at Kralupy, which will reduce its annual ESBR capacity from 430,000 tonnes to 320,000 tonnes. It said however that despite the reduction it would remain the largest producer of ESBR in Europe.
Synthos will continue to produce solution styrene butadiene rubber (S-SBR), butadiene rubber (BR), E-SBR, acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) and high styrene rubber (HSR) at manufacturing sites in Poland and Germany and BR in Kralupy, according to the press release.