Ineos’ new cumene plant in Marl with an annual production capacity of 750,000 tons has been announced to be put into operation!

On December 18, Ineos announced that its new cumene plant with an annual production capacity of 750,000 tons in Marl, Germany, of Ineos Phenol, a subsidiary of the group, was officially put into operation. Ineos started production operations at the plant earlier this year, and the plant was originally scheduled to start production in 2021.

The plant will use existing pipeline connections between INEOS's phenol and acetone production site in Gladbeck, Germany, Evonik's chemical park in Marl and BP's refinery and steam cracker in Gelsenkirchen.

Ineos said that by combining its pioneering cumene technology with the unique heat integration of the Marl Chemical Park, the plant will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 50% for every ton of cumene produced.

In June this year, Ineos Phenol announced that it may restructure its production operations at its Belgian Doel plant near Antwerp, citing "difficult market conditions" and the need to strengthen the competitiveness of the Antwerp-area phenol business. Ineos said at the time that the Doel plant was the world's largest phenol production facility, with a rated capacity of 680,000 tonnes per year. The plant uses cumene to produce phenol, acetone and alpha-methylstyrene.

In March 2023, Olin announced the closure of its 750,000-ton-per-year cumene unit in Terneuzen, the Netherlands. About 90% of the plant's cumene is supplied to Ineos Phenol in Antwerp, Belgium. The shutdown temporarily deprive Ineos of some of its cumene supplies and idle a phenol line at its Antwerp production facility. INEOS currently operates a 260,000 t/y cumene plant in Marl. That unit will be shut down when Marr's new unit comes online.

According to statistics, global cumene demand is currently 16.4 million tons/year and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 3.3% in the next five years. Phenol is the largest single derivative, accounting for 98% of total cumene demand. At the same time, the demand for phenol is closely related to the growth of demand for bisphenol A (BPA) and polycarbonate (PC). The global cumene production capacity in 2023 is estimated to be 21 million tons/year. By 2028, it is expected to rise to nearly 25 million tons/year, and the vast majority of the announced new capacity will be in China. The main production companies include Yanshan Petrochemical, Jilin Petrochemical, Sinopec, etc.