Emissions may shutter Ineos plant

Ineos says its purified terephthalic acid (PTA) plant in Geel, Belgium, which employs 600 people, faces possible closure over emissions of cobalt used in catalysts there. PTA is the primary raw material for making the polymer polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The company says that it has historically had permits to emit 1,000 µg/L of cobalt in water and that its actual emissions are usually a quarter of that amount. It agreed with local government to lower emissions to 120 µg by 2027. Environmental groups have challenged those levels, leading to the court imposing lower levels and possibly, Ineos claims, forcing closure of the plant. Late last year, Ineos said it was mothballing one of the lines in Geel because of high production costs and competition from cheap imports of PTA and PET.