Overview

• The Olefins6 cracker, offline since 2020, will be shut permanently following SABIC’s review aimed at maintaining competitiveness and aligning with long-term strategic priorities.
• About 100 roles at the Wilton site are at risk, according to Unite, while operations at SABIC’s adjacent LDPE plant will continue unaffected.
• Local leaders described the decision as a devastating blow to Teesside’s economy and have urged ministers to deliver a clear plan to retain industrial jobs.
• Ministers have engaged with SABIC but emphasised the closure was a commercial decision as part of efforts to defend Britain’s chemicals sector in the face of soaring energy costs.
• Sector leaders warn that without targeted support and measures to curb high energy costs, other regional assets could face similar closure risks.