BASF declares force majeure on European EO, MEG: spokesman

London (Platts)–20May2015/1043 am EDT/1443 GMT

BASF on Tuesday declared force majeure on ethylene oxide and monoethylene glycol in Europe due to technical problems, a company spokesman told Platts in an email Wednesday.

"Our European production sites for EO have experienced significant technical problems over the last days leading to a shutdown of the Ludwigshafen, Germany EO-plant on Sunday May 17, 2015," the spokesman said. "To remedy the situation we were forced to keep the plant down and start with the necessary repair work immediately. For the Antwerp, Belgium, EO plant the production rate had to be reduced."

The EO shortage led to the force majeure for MEG, he added. EO is a feedstock for MEG.

BASF produces EO at two sites in Europe, at Ludwigshafen and Antwerp, with capacities of 375,000 mt/year and 500,000 mt/year respectively.

BASF's steam crackers at the sites are running as normal, the spokesman added. BASF has two crackers at Ludwigshafen, with ethylene capacities of 220,000 mt/year and 400,000 mt/year. It also operates a 1.08 million mt/year cracker in Antwerp.

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