Overview
- Evonik has announced the planned shutdown of its Hamburg and Bitterfeld sites, affecting about 90 employees and moving the work to bigger German locations.
- The company cites persistently weak demand and rising supply from Asia for high‑purity silicon tetrachloride and chlorsilanes as the main reason for the Bitterfeld decision.
- Evonik says affected businesses will continue but be concentrated at larger sites such as Rheinfelden and Essen to improve efficiency and competitiveness.
- The works council has demanded socially acceptable measures for staff, noting that workers now face relocation, redeployment, or potential job losses.
- Industry groups warn the closures follow recent regional setbacks and could add to job and capacity losses across the Mitteldeutsches Chemiedreieck, with the moves also fitting into Evonik’s wider restructuring announced in June.