Competitive Supplier
2023 Chlorine Production
Euro Chlor systematically publishes the monthly European production and capacity utilisation of chlorine and caustic soda stocks here. These are aggregated figures reported by our members to Cefic.
In 2023 7,261 kilotonnes of chlorine were produced, marking an 11% decrease from 2022. The capacity utilisation rate further decreased from 69.8% in 2022 to 62.2% in 2023. This continuing downturn is attributed to a decline in economic activity, driven partly by increased European energy prices.
Together with Cefic colleagues, the Euro Chlor team and other Cefic members continue to flag the severity of the long-lasting low production volumes to the European Commission and Member State authorities.
European chlorine applications 2023
The two main applications for chlorine, together accounting for almost two-thirds, remain PVC/ EDC/ VCM and isocyanates/ oxygenates.
For a comprehensive overview of chlorine products, click here.
European caustic soda applications 2023
Caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) has a diverse range of applications.
For a detailed overview of caustic soda products, click here.
European hydrogen applications 2023
Most of the hydrogen produced is used for steam generation, but it also has various other applications.
See all the hydrogen products here.
*Note: The figure for vented hydrogen varies from that reported elsewhere in this report as it results from a separate questionnaire with a different level of detail.
Manufacturing Technologies
Membrane technology remains the dominant method for producing chlor-alkali in Europe, consisting of 86.8% of installed EU capacity in 2023 (86.2% in 2022). Diaphragm technology slightly decreased to 8.4% of capacity in 2023 from 9.5% in 2022.
The remaining 4.7% covers chlorine-alcoholate production, hydrochloric acid conversion to chlorine, metal production with chlorine and caustic production without hydrogen as a by-product.
Progressing Euro Chlor’s Cost Competitiveness Study
As reported in our 2022/ 2023 Industry Review, a study on the cost competitiveness of the European chlor-alkali industry was conducted by Argus Media. It revealed that, as early as 2015, our industry and its main downstream products were at a cost disadvantage compared to other regions. Since 2022 though, the European energy crisis has exacerbated this situation, contributing to the reduced capacity utilisation we see today.
Euro Chlor continues to track the latest legislative developments concerning energy and hydrogen, to build on the findings of the report and disseminate them further. More specifically, we have been emphasising the need for abundant and competitively priced low-carbon or renewable power with the European Commission Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW), as well as with the European Commission Directorate General for Energy (DG ENER).
The above efforts were supported and reinforced by Euro Chlor’s Energy Crisis Team and Cefic colleagues from the Climate Change and Energy and Industrial Policy Departments.
Electricity costs within the EU and compared to the US
For the third Sustainability Programme in 2021, Euro Chlor started assembling available public data on the cost of electricity in Europe, on the comparison with prices in the USA and the cost of CO2 in Europe compared with other regions.
As far as differences in electricity prices amongst EU Member States are concerned, the following heat map gives a view on all those EU countries in which Euro Chlor members have some production capacity.
CO2 prices around the world
CO2 prices also increased in the EU over the past year and remain much higher than in other regions of the world.
Net caustic soda import
The level of net import of caustic soda (as 50%) into the EU is a KPI implemented by Euro Chlor in 2017. A peak can be seen in 2018, primarily due to the completion of the remaining mercury conversion projects. From 2019 onwards, the imports seem to steadily decrease, with an unexpected increase in 2022 followed by a historically low net import value of 187,772 tons of NaOH (50%) in 2023.
Chlorine production plants 1st January 2024 capacities
Process:
D = diaphragm
M = membrane
“Others” includes HCI electrolysis, ODC molten salt electrolysis, alcoholates.
Non Euro Chlor members are indicated in italics.
Country |
Company |
Site |
Total
|
D |
M |
Others |
|
1 | Austria | Donau Chemie | Brückl | 75 | 75 | ||
Austria Total | 75 | 0 | 75 | 0 | |||
3 | Belgium | INEOS Inovyn | Lillo | 500 | 500 | ||
4 | Belgium | INEOS Inovyn | Jemeppe | 174 | 174 | ||
5 | Belgium | Vynova | Tessenderlo | 400 | 400 | ||
Belgium Total | 1,074 | 0 | 1,074 | 0 | |||
7 | Czech Republic | Spolek (Spolchemie) | Ústí nad Labem | 78 | 78 | ||
Czech Republik Total | 78 | 0 | 78 | 0 | |||
9 | Finland | Kemira | Joutseno | 75 | 75 | ||
Finland Total | 75 | 0 | 75 | 0 | |||
10 | France | Vynova PPC | Thann | 42 | 42 | ||
11 | France | Vencorex | Pont de Claix | 118 | 118 | ||
12 | France | KEM ONE | Fos | 333 | 178 | 155 | |
13 | France | Arkema | Jarrie | 75 | 75 | ||
14 | France | KEM ONE | Lavera | 341 | 341 | ||
15 | France | Arkema | Saint-Auban | 20 | 20 | ||
16 | France | MSSA | Pomblière | 42 | 42 | ||
18 | France | INEOS Inovyn | Tavaux | 370 | 370 | ||
19 | France | Kuhlmann France | Loos | 38 | 38 | ||
France Total | 1,379 | 178 | 1,159 | 42 | |||
20 | Germany | BASF | Ludwigshafen | 595 | 315 | 280 | |
21 | Germany | Covestro | Dormagen | 480 | 400 | 80 | |
22 | Germany | Covestro | Leverkusen | 390 | 390 | ||
23 | Germany | Covestro | Krefeld-Ürdingen | 290 | 290 | ||
24 | Germany | Covestro | Brunsbüttel | 220 | 220 | ||
25 | Germany | Dow | Schkopau | 253 | 253 | ||
26 | Germany | Westlake Vinnolit | Hürth-Knapsack | 250 | 250 | ||
27 | Germany | CABB GmbH | Gersthofen | 57 | 55 | 2 | |
28 | Germany | Dow | Stade | 1,624 | 1,024 | 600 | |
29 | Germany | Neolyse Ibbenbüren GmbH | Ibbenbüren | 82 | 82 | ||
30 | Germany | Nobian | Bitterfeld | 99 | 99 | ||
31 | Germany | Lülsdorf Functional Solutions | Lülsdorf | 77 | 77 | ||
33 | Germany | Nobian | Frankfurt | 283 | 283 | ||
34 | Germany | INEOS Inovyn | Rheinberg | 220 | 110 | 110 | |
35 | Germany | VESTOLIT | Marl | 260 | 260 | ||
36 | Germany | Westlake Vinnolit | Gendorf | 205 | 205 | ||
37 | Germany | Wacker Chemie | Burghausen | 55 | 55 | ||
96 | Germany | LEUNA-Harze | Leuna | 15 | 15 | ||
Germany Total | 5,455 | 1,134 | 3,662 | 659 | |||
94 | Greece | Kapachim | Inofita Viotias | 11 | 11 | ||
Greece Total | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0 | |||
39 | Hungary | BorsodChem | Kazincbarcika | 480 | 384 | 96 | |
Hungary Total | 480 | 0 | 384 | 96 | |||
40 | Ireland | Micro Bio | Fermoy | 11 | 11 | ||
Ireland Total | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0 | |||
41 | Italy | Altair Chemical | Volterra | 75 | 75 | ||
42 | Italy | Società Chimica Bussi S.p.A. | Bussi | 18 | 18 | ||
44 | Italy | Società Chimica Assemini | Assemini | 27 | 27 | ||
49 | Italy | INEOS Inovyn | Rosignano | 150 | 150 | ||
50 | Italy | Altair Chemical | Pieve Vergonte | 42 | 42 | ||
93 | Italy | Fater | Campochiaro | 20 | 20 | ||
99 | Italy | Halo Industry Spa | Torviscosa | 25 | 25 | ||
Italy Total | 357 | 0 | 357 | 0 | |||
51 | The Netherlands | Nobian | Botlek | 637 | 637 | ||
52 | The Netherlands | Nobian | Delfzijl | 121 | 121 | ||
54 | The Netherlands | Sabic | Bergen op Zoom | 89 | 89 | ||
The Netherlands Total | 847 | 0 | 847 | 0 | |||
55 | Norway | Borregaard | Sarpsborg | 45 | 45 | ||
56 | Norway | Elkem | Bremanger | 11 | 11 | ||
57 | Norway | INOVYN Norge | Rafnes | 315 | 315 | ||
Norway Total | 371 | 0 | 371 | 0 | |||
58 | Poland | PCC Rokita | Brzeg Dolny | 210 | 210 | ||
60 | Poland | Anwil | Wloclawek | 195 | 195 | ||
Poland Total | 405 | 0 | 405 | 0 | |||
62 | Portugal | Bondalti Chemicals | Estarreja | 142 | 94 | 48 | |
Portugal Total | 142 | 0 | 94 | 48 | |||
91 | Romania | Chimcomplex |
Râmnicu Vâlcea |
106 | 106 | ||
92 | Romania | Chimcomplex |
Borzeşti |
102 | 102 | ||
Romania Total | 208 | 0 | 208 | 0 | |||
63 | Slovak Republik | Fortischem | Nováky | 70 | 70 | ||
Slovak Republik Total | 70 | 0 | 70 | 0 | |||
88 | Slovenia | TKI Hrastnik | Hrastnik | 16 | 16 | ||
Slovenia Total | 16 | 0 | 16 | 0 | |||
64 | Spain | Electroquimica Onubense | Huelva/Palos | 44 | 44 | ||
65 | Spain | Ercros |
Sabiñanigo |
45 | 45 | ||
66 | Spain | Ercros | Vila-seca | 172 | 172 | ||
67 | Spain |
Electroquímica de Hernani |
Hernani | 30 | 30 | ||
70 | Spain |
Química del Cinca |
Monzón |
60 | 60 | ||
72 | Spain | Bondalti Chemicals | Torrelavega | 60 | 60 | ||
100 | Spain | Biomca Química | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 5 | 5 | ||
101 | Spain | Covestro | Tarragona | 100 | 100 | ||
Spain Total | 516 | 0 | 416 | 100 | |||
75 | Sweden | INOVYN Sverige | Stenungsund | 123 | 0 | 123 | 0 |
Sweden Total | 123 | 0 | 123 | 0 | |||
77 | Switzerland | CABB AG | Pratteln | 47 | 0 | 47 | 0 |
Switzerland Total | 47 | 0 | 47 | 0 | |||
85 | UK | Brenntag UK Ltd | Thetford | 7 | 7 | ||
97 | UK | Industrial Chemicals Ltd | West Thurrock | 44 | 44 | ||
98* | UK | Runcorn MCP Ltd | Runcorn | 225 | 225 | ||
98* | UK | INOVYN ChlorVinyls Limited | Runcorn | 215 | 215 | ||
UK Total | 491 | 0 | 491 | 0 | |||
Grand Total (kt Cl2) | 12,231 | 1,312 | 9,974 | 945 | |||
Per process (percentage) | 10.7% | 81.6% | 7.7% |
*Both operating on the Runcorn Site