Synthos is closing its synthetic rubber Emulsion-SBR (ESBR) production line in the Czech Republic due to “the unsustainable market environment for ESBR due to unpredictable costs in Europe”. Synthos will cease ESBR production at its Kralupy, Czech Republic operation in the second quarter of this year.
On 8 December 2022, the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) determined that imports of emulsion styrene butadiene rubber (ESBR) from the Czech Republic were not sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV) and, consequently, no industry of the United States is materially injured or threatened with material injury from them.
In light of strongly rising energy prices in Europe, chemical firm and synthetic rubber manufacturer Synthos has announced that it can no longer produce Emulsion-SBR (ESBR) at full capacity. It will thus reduce ESBR output by approximately 30%, equivalent to around 100,000 MTPA, effective immediately.
At its annual general meeting on 29 June, Swiss firm Tyre Recycling Solutions (TRS) appointed Matteo Marchisio to its Board of Directors. Marchisio is director of the Synthetic Rubber business unit at Synthos, the chemical company that took a minority stake in TRS following its acquisition of Trinseo’s synthetic rubber business late last year.
With its acquisition of Trinseo’s rubber production plants in Schkopau, Germany late last year, Polish firm Synthos has also taken on the minority stake in Swiss start-up Tyre Recycling Solutions (TRS) that Trinseo held. It reports that its collaboration with TRS is now “progressing according to plan.”
Pirelli intends to supply its tyre factories in the Asia Pacific region with synthetic rubber produced in Russia. The tyre maker has signed a three-party Memorandum of Understanding related to this project. This new MoU facilitates the continuation of plans set out by MoUs signed between Pirelli and Russian petroleum company Rosneft in May and October 2014.
