Styrolution shutting Sarnia styrene plant after resident complaints

HOUSTON (ICIS)–INEOS Styrolution is temporarily shutting its styrene plant in Sarnia, Ontario, after nearby residents complained they became ill from the plant’s emissions.

“At INEOS Styrolution, ensuring the health and safety of our employees and community is paramount,” the company said in a statement. “We are temporarily shutting down our facility located in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, to perform maintenance and address a mechanical issue. We will resume operations once addressed.”

The plant has capacity to produce 445,000 tonnes/year of styrene and 490,000 tonnes/year of ethylbenzene (EB), according to the ICIS Supply and Demand Database.

The shutdown came after the Aamjiwnaang First Nation community asked the government to close the plant when members complained of becoming sick and said that data indicated high levels of benzene in the air. Members reported having headaches, nausea and dizziness due to poor air quality.

Aamjiwnaang First Nation describes itself as a community of about 2,500 Chippewa Aboriginal peoples located on the St Clair River in the city limits of Sarnia.

Last week, Ontario Environment Minister Andrea Khanjin said that she expected the company to “quickly identify and reduce” emissions at the site, according to news reports.

In 2020, the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks created the Sarnia Area Environmental Health Project to look into concerns that residents expressed about air pollutants and other quality-of-life impacts from living close to industrial operations in the area. The project includes regularly measuring air quality for potential health risks.

The shutdown will further tighten the North American styrene market, which has experienced a number of outages that have put upward pressure on contract and spot prices.

Styrolution’s Texas City, Texas, plant has been shut since mid-2023. In addition, Total remains on force majeure from its joint-venture CosMar unit in Carville, Louisiana, and LyondellBasell’s propylene oxide/styrene monomer (POSM) plant in Channelview, Texas, is undergoing maintenance. Shell recently restarted its Scotford, Alberta, styrene unit but it is not operating at full capacity, according to market sources.

US styrene contract prices in April were assessed at their highest level since Q3 2023 due to the rise in spot prices, which are up approximately 50% since the beginning of the year.

Styrene is a chemical used to make latex and polystyrene resins, which in turn are used to make plastic packaging, disposable cups and insulation.

Major North American styrene producers include AmSty, INEOS Styrolution, LyondellBasell Chemical, Shell Chemicals Canada, Total Petrochemicals and Westlake Styrene.