Major concerns about Dow chemical company sites

Fears that the US chemical company Dow will shut down two plants in Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony are causing great concern in the region. In particular, the plant in Böhlen, Saxony, is a central starting point at the beginning of many production chains in the central German chemical triangle, according to the Halle-Dessau Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). "Its closure directly threatens numerous other plants and companies as well as jobs in the entire region." The chemical industry at the Leuna and Schkopau sites accounts for a third of the industrial turnover in southern Saxony-Anhalt.

"Once it's shut down, it won't come back," said Fabian Magerl, Managing Director of the Leipzig Chamber of Industry and Commerce, referring to the threat of closure. An industrial lifeline would be damaged with domino effects for an entire value chain.

The company had previously announced possible cutbacks: "Dow is considering various options, the most likely of which are a temporary shutdown or closure of the plants." This is due to overcapacity in the market, which is being exacerbated by increasing imports, high energy, raw material and CO2 costs and increasing regulatory burdens. Final decisions have not yet been made. The site review in Europe should be completed by mid-2025. A decision will then be made.

Politicians must help - energy prices should fall

The Halle-Dessau Chamber of Industry and Commerce and various state politicians believe that the federal government has a role to play. It must provide rapid relief for energy costs. "This must be the industrial policy priority of the federal government in the coming weeks - Germany as an industrial location cannot afford any further delays," warned IHK Managing Director Thomas Brockmeier.

The leader of the FDP parliamentary group in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament, Andreas Silbersack, also called for a rapid reduction in energy prices. A reform of the European CO2 certificate trade that prevents abrupt price jumps is overdue, he said. Silbersack warned of an unprecedented loss of the industrial heart of East Germany. "When even a global corporation like Dow is thinking out loud about shutting down in Germany, that's no longer a warning signal, it's the fire alarm in the engine room," said Silbersack.

Frank Bommersbach, deputy leader of the CDU parliamentary group, emphasized: "A plant closure in Schkopau and Böhlen would be extremely regrettable and must be averted by all means." Janina Böttger, leader of the Left Party in Saxony-Anhalt, explained that the future of the chemical industry - especially in the east - must become a top priority. "We will put the issue on the agenda in the Bundestag and the state parliaments: The chemical industry needs a viable, long-term industrial policy strategy. Structural change must not become a synonym for industrial desert."