ExxonMobil announced last week that it plans to close its only German lubricant plant during the second half of next year. The plant is located in the northern city of Harburg, near Hamburg.
This is part of a plan to gain optimization between available capacity and supply possibilities, said Ranier Abbenseth, head of public relations for ExxonMobil Central Europe Holding GmbH. Production from the Harburg plant, which was supplying Germany and other parts of Europe, will be transferred to other European plants, he said.
German New Digest reported that the plant produced 100,000 metric tons of lubes per year, but Abbenseth was unable to confirm that number.
As required by German law, ExxonMobil will negotiate with the German chemical sector union concerning the future of the plants 90 employees.