Concern for the Central German chemical triangle

In view of the planned closure of plants at the US company Dow Chemical, politicians are concerned about the future of the Central German chemical triangle. The exit could lead to a domino effect that would endanger the entire chemical region, the Left Party announced after a meeting of the state parliament's economic committee. The party called on the federal and state governments to intervene. There are a large number of companies applying to succeed the Dow plants.

The economic policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group in Saxony-Anhalt, Holger Hövelmann, appealed to both the federal government and the EU to make an effort for the Central German chemical triangle. As a systemically relevant structure for the chemical industry in Central Germany, there must be state intervention. At the beginning of July, the US company announced that it would be closing some of its plants in Schkopau in Saxony-Anhalt and Böhlen in Saxony at the end of 2027.

Bad news from the chemical industry: 1,500 jobs to be cut

Industry associations fear that the closure could disrupt supply chains in the chemical industry. Dow is an important producer of many relevant chemical building materials such as binders or adhesives and sealants. The chemical industry is under pressure, primarily due to high energy costs.

On Thursday, the chemical company Wacker announced that it would be cutting 1,500 jobs. The company has a site in Nünchritz, Saxony, with 1,500 employees. A Wacker subsidiary from the pharmaceutical industry opened a new site in Halle (Saale) just last year. According to the company, around 250 people are employed there.