Mitsubishi ponders plant closure of methyl methacrylate (MMA), with a final decision expected in January. The company started a period of consultation with employees to shut production at the Cassel Site, Billingham, UK.
The company noted it could stop all associated MMA manufacturing opeartions after undertaking a review. The review aimed to identify opportunities for long term economic sustainability.
The production technology at the UK site relies on gas, used both as feedstock and as energy.
The company had shut the plant in January for maintenance and has remained closed since then due to escalating gas prices.
The company said it undetook a review exploring options including mothballing of plants and reinvestment. However, the conclusion reached pointed that production at the UK Cassel Site “is not economically sustainable.”
The Cassel Site has a production capacity of 200,000 metric tons of MMA. MMA’s main application is the production of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). PMMA finds its uses in many sectors, including rear lights and road signs.