Covestro to restructure Antwerp plant, risking up to 260 jobs
Covestro announced a restructuring plan for its Antwerp facility that could affect as many as 260 workers, cutting polycarbonate lines and ending BPA production.
Covestro disclosed a plan to overhaul its Antwerp chemical complex, proposing to reduce polycarbonate manufacturing from four lines to a single line focused on specialist grades and to stop producing bisphenol A on site. The restructuring could involve up to 260 staff members out of roughly 970 total employees. The company cited weak demand, high energy and production costs, and rising global competition as drivers for the change.
Most of the plant’s activities, such as polyether production, the Technology Centre, and a new aniline unit, will remain untouched. An information and consultation process with employee representatives has begun, and Covestro will not finalize any cuts until that dialogue is completed. CEO Markus Steilemann and CTO Thorsten Dreier emphasized the need to align capacity with market realities while preserving higher-value operations.
Why it matters
The move could reshape employment and chemical production in a key European industrial hub.
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