Ineos Styrolution: Shutting down PS production in Illinois

Ineos Styrolution, part of the UK-based chemical group INEOS, will discontinue polystyrene (PS) production at its Channahon site in the US state of Illinois.

The company announced the decision in a recent press release. The shutdown of the plant is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year. However, the regional service and development center (RDC) in Channahon will continue operating. Ineos Styrolution also stated that it will support the site's approximately 100 employees throughout the transition period.

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The company cited persistent margin pressure and ongoing oversupply in the market as the main reasons for closing the facility. Ineos Styrolution CEO Steve Harrington commented: "After a thorough evaluation of market conditions, industry operating rates, the site's cost structure, and the long-term outlook, we have concluded that continuing operations in Channahon is no longer economically viable."

Opened in 1960, the Channahon plant has an annual polystyrene production capacity of 400,000 tonnes. Going forward, Ineos Styrolution intends to concentrate PS production for the North American market at its facilities in Decatur, Alabama, and Altamira, Mexico.

Greg Fordyce, President Americas at Ineos Styrolution, added: "We remain firmly convinced that PS delivers significant value to our customers. Its versatility, performance, efficiency, and potential to support circular economy solutions make PS an essential material. By consolidating production at fewer, more efficient facilities, we are strengthening our ability to reliably serve customers while enhancing our long-term competitiveness in a challenging market environment."

Late last year, Ineos Styrolution had already announced the shutdown of PS production at its Wingles site in northern France and the consolidation of European PS production at its Antwerp, Belgium, facility.

Headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Ineos Styrolution is one of the world's leading producers of styrene monomer, polystyrene, ABS, and other styrenic copolymers. The company currently operates 14 manufacturing sites and six R&D locations across Germany, Belgium, France, the United States, Mexico, South Korea, and China, employing more than 2,500 people. In the 2025 financial year, the INEOS subsidiary generated sales of approximately EUR 3.9 billion.

More information: www.ineos-styrolution.com, www.ineos.com

Ineos Styrolution Group GmbH, Frankfurt am Main

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