International. The material manufacturer Covestro has decided to continue manufacturing the rigid foam precursor MDI in Tarragona (Spain). The closure of the plant that had originally been planned for the end of 2017 has been suspended for the time being.
The main reason for this decision was the significant increase in demand for MDI. In addition, Covestro has managed to access important raw materials - in particular chlorine - for the Tarragona headquarters for the coming years from the end of 2017. According to current plans, the impact on employees will be minimized.
"This is good news for the Tarragona headquarters and for our employees. Through our continuous operations in Tarragona, we want to reliably satisfy the growth of our customers," said Andrea Firenze, Managing Director of Covestro S.L. in Spain.
"The decision is a clear statement that we remain committed to the MDI market. We will investigate several additional MDI options to meet the growing demand," added Markus Steilemann, Head of the Polyurethanes Business Unit and Member of the Innovation Council. In this context, Covestro is committed to its plans to increase MDI production at its German headquarters in Brunsbüttel.
