INEOS PTA plant in Geel, Belgium threatened with closure by regulators over ‘excessive’ cobalt emissions?

The INEOS purified terephthalic acid (PTA) plant in Geel, Belgium, is threatened with closure as regulators attempt to set unattainable environmental targets for the plant, which has already pledged to reduce cobalt levels by 80%.

The plant, which has been operating within all environmental standards for the past 20 years, is now required to reduce cobalt levels to a limit 20 times lower than what expert studies have shown is required and 100 times lower than the limit set in Poland.

The plant is one of only a few remaining in Europe and is the most efficient with the lowest carbon footprint in the region. Terephthalic acid is a key feedstock for the global polyester industry, used to produce cheap materials that are essential to human well-being, from textiles and clothing to food and beverage packaging. The material is easily reusable and recyclable and will play a key role in Europe’s long-term sustainability challenges.

The plant has been operating successfully for more than 20 years and is fully compliant with all environmental regulations. The production process uses a cobalt catalyst, which means that trace amounts of cobalt are present in the plant’s wastewater. Historically, the plant’s licence allowed for up to 1,000 micrograms per litre of cobalt in the water, while its regular discharges are around a quarter of that limit.

The plant agreed to reduce the maximum limit to 500 micrograms per litre, and to 120 micrograms per litre in 2027, a decision that required a cost of more than €20 million, and the local government agreed to. The decision was subsequently challenged by two NGOs, forcing the government to conduct a judicial review and set a new regulatory limit for cobalt that is completely unattainable, 20 times lower than what is actually needed and 100 times lower than the equivalent limit in Poland. The European Water Framework Directive does not even list cobalt as a priority substance, and France and Germany do not impose any restrictions.

If the plant’s licence is not renewed and it is forced to close, nearly 600 jobs are at risk.

Commenting on the matter, Jim Ratcliffe, Chairman of INEOS, said: “This is typical of what we are seeing in Europe. Regulators are bending over backwards to meet the demands of NGOs who are bent on using regulation to strangle the European chemical industry. Their demands are deliberately unachievable, will do nothing to improve the environment, will lead to massive deindustrialisation and will cost the livelihoods of thousands of hard-working people.”