INEOS Styrolution Seals Sarnia's Fate: Ontario Site Closure Permanently Shut

INEOS Styrolution, a renowned provider of styrenic materials worldwide, has revealed its strategic move to cease operations at its styrene monomer production facility in Sarnia, Ontario, by June 2026. This decision marks a significant transition for the company, aligning with its broader operational objectives and market dynamics. Despite the closure, INEOS Styrolution remains committed to serving its global customer base with innovative solutions and maintaining its position as a leader in the styrenics industry. The closure reflects a comprehensive assessment of business priorities, ensuring sustainability and efficiency in the company's operations moving forward.

INEOS Styrolution stands as the foremost supplier of styrenics globally, boasting an exceptional portfolio encompassing styrene monomer, polystyrene, ABS, and cutting-edge styrenic products renowned for their superior performance. Built in 1943 by a Canadian government agency, the Sarnia styrene plant has grown considerably over the years. Originally producing just 50 million pounds of styrene monomer annually, it's now owned by INEOS and boasts a capacity of 430 thousand tonnes.

INEO Styrolution’s CEO Steve Harrington stated that “This difficult business decision to permanently close our Sarnia site was made following a lengthy evaluation process and is based on the economics of the facility within a wider industry context. The long-term prospects for the Sarnia site have worsened to the point that it is no longer an economically viable operating asset”. “The production site in Sarnia is currently shut down due to recent orders from regulatory authorities that forced us to declare force majeure. We are currently assessing what is required to restart the site—a process that could take approximately six months.”, Steve added.

INEOS Styrolution acknowledges the disruption caused by the temporary shutdown of the Sarnia plant and expresses gratitude for the continued patience of its employees, contractors, customers, and partners. The company emphasizes its commitment to a smooth and responsible closure process. This includes working collaboratively with all stakeholders to ensure a safe and compliant wind-down. Furthermore, living up to their core value of respecting people, INEOS Styrolution will provide transition support to impacted employees during this time.

The CEO said that the decision to permanently close the Sarnia site by June 2026 is independent of the current situation. He added that the economic reality is that the company has invested significantly in the Sarnia site for many years to ensure safe and reliable operations. According to the CEO, additional large investments that are unrelated to the potential costs of restarting operations would be necessary in the near future. He further explained that such investments would be economically impractical given today's challenging industry environment.