Chemical suppliers declare force majeure after Hurricane Ike hits
By Purchasing Staff -- Purchasing, 10/16/2008 2:00:00 AM
Various chemical firms with plants on the Texas Gulf Coast declared force majeure on a host of chemicals in the days following Hurricane Ike's devastation to the region.
While not damaged by the storm, Solvay Chemicals' hydrogen peroxide plant and sodium percarbonate plant in Deer Park, Texas were forced to shut down due to employee evacuations. As a result, Solvay was forced to declare force majeure on Sept. 16 and enforce a 75% allocation program for hydrogen peroxide shipments from all plants in the U.S.
Solutia said an initial assessment of its nylon chemical plant in Alvin, Texas showed no flood damage, but some wind damage. But company officials said "reviews of the region's infrastructure remain uncertain and could slow the return to normal operations."
Huntsman said four of its Texas plants were impacted by power outages and transportation snafus in the wake of the Hurricane. And DuPont's Sabine facility in Orange saw storm damage causing it to declare force majeure for its ethylene copolymers business.
And Rohm and Haas' Deer Park and Bayport plants were slow to come back online due to extended power problems and supplier outages.
Bayer lifts force majeure in the U.S.
11/19/2008
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