Synthos, a chemical company, has announced that it will stop producing emulsion styrene butadiene rubber (ESBR) at its facility in the second quarter of 2023. The decision was made due to unpredictable utility costs, which have created an unsustainable market environment for ESBR in Europe. This situation is a result of the geopolitical tensions caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The company had already reduced ESBR production since September 2022. Despite the reduction, Synthos will remain the largest producer of ESBR in Europe and will continue to produce 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.