Restructuring: Evonik to close two German sites; Leuna-Polyamid to shut down PA6 plant in Germany

German chemical firm Evonik says it plans to close its Hamburg and Bitterfeld sites in Germany by 2027, concentrating production at larger locations. Around 90 employees are affected as the company seeks to reduce costs and strengthen competitiveness.

 The Hamburg site, employing about 50 and making cosmetics and personal care ingredients, will close by mid-2027; another at Bitterfeld, employing around 40 and producing chlorosilanes, will close in April 2027..

The activities of the Hamburg site will be bundled together with the technological know-how at Essen-Goldschmidtstrasse, which is already a major site of the Care Solutions business line. Care Solutions is suffering from weak global demand and persistent pressure on profit margins in international competition, the company said.

The decision to close Bitterfeld came in the wake of “persistently challenging market conditions for high-purity silicon tetrachloride, including increasing supply from Asia and competitive pressure”. Meanwhile plant utilisation has remained low. Evonik looked at other options including reducing capacity, mothballing and a sale but decided that none “promised a sustainable economic perspective in the long term”.

Meanwhile in other news, nylon producer Leuna-Polyamid GmbH says it is preparing to shut down its production facilities at the Leuna site after its search for an investor ended without a viable bid. According to the company, no binding offers were submitted by the end-August deadline, while the two remaining interested parties also withdrew.

The controlled shutdown is due to begin in early October, when insolvency proceedings are expected to be formally opened.

Leuna-Polyamid was set up in 2026 after acquiring assets from insolvent Domo Caproleuna GmbH. Soon after operations began, sharp increases in raw material prices and supply shortages put pressure on liquidity. Additional financing needs arose as suppliers increasingly demanded advance payments. The company filed for insolvency under self-administration in June.

The development is significant for Germany’s polyamide 6 value chain. The former Domo Caproleuna operation in Leuna comprised integrated production of chemical intermediates through to caprolactam. The planned shutdown therefore also raises questions about the future availability of key feedstocks for polyamide 6 production in Europe.

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