Chlorine production remains stable for third year in a row
European chlorine production continued strong and steady in 2006 for the third successive year accompanied by robust demand for this chemical's co-product, caustic soda. Chlorine production last year dipped slightly to 10.30 million tonnes from 10.38 million (2005) and the 10-year-high of 10.40 million in 2004.
Chlorine production for the fourth quarter of 2006 (2,612,265 tonnes) was practically identical to the same period the previous year (2,619,967 tonnes). Compared with the third quarter 2006 (2,601,833 tonnes), fourth quarter chlorine production was 0.4% higher.
In December, 2006 daily production (28,690 tonnes) was 0.5% higher than the previous month (28,537 tonnes) and 1.68% up on December 2005 (28,217 tonnes).
Capacity utilisation rates in 2006 averaged 83% compared with 85% in 2005. In the fourth quarter, average monthly capacity utilisation was 84% against 85% for the same period a year earlier.
Caustic soda exports of 25,873 tonnes in December were almost 11,000 tonnes below the 2006 monthly average of 37,000 tonnes. At month end, stocks (including Eastern Europe) held by producers totalled 253,836 tonnes. This was 39,103 tonnes higher than November (214,733 tonnes). The year closed with stocks 15.8% lower than at the end of 2005 (301,397 tonnes).
Germany continued to be the largest chlorine producer in 2006 accounting for 43.6% (4,492,808 tonnes) of European production. France remained second largest with13.6% (1,395,394 tonnes) with Belgium/The Netherlands third with 12.5% (1,288,355 tonnes). The top three regions accounted for almost 70% of total production last year.
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