Arkema plans shutdown of fluorogas production in Spain

In order to improve the profitability of its fluorogas business, French chemical company is planning to close down fluorogas productions at its Zaramillo plant in Spain. The European fluorogas industry has been severely impacted for several years by a competitiveness gap with China and the US. “Hence the Zaramillo site is faced with this European environment as well as structural problems, which have prompted this proposed closure of the fluorogas productions,” said Arkema in a press release.
 
The Zaramillo site, which manufactures HFC R32 and R143a fluorogases and blends, has been faced with a highly competitive environment for a number of years. Furthermore, European regulations are requiring investments for additional compliance standards as of 2015 for a site that is undersized and loss-making. Given this context, the project entails the definitive shutdown of production by the end of 2014.
 
The project is subject to the legal information and consultation process involving the personnel representative bodies of Arkema in Spain, and would entail the loss of 59 jobs on the site.