Europe could see losses of 1 million mt of chlorine capacity by the time European legislation forbidding mercury-based production takes effect in December 2017, management are Westlake Chemical Corporation was quoted by Platts. EU legislation requires all mercury-based chlorine and caustic soda capacity to convert to membrane-based production by 2018 or close. "There are some discussions that close to 1 million mt of capacity could be reduced, but we will not know until the end of the year how much capacity will be shut down in Europe," Albert Chao, Westlake Chemical president and CEO, said on a conference call to discuss 2015 full-year results.
Around 58.8%, or 7.30 mln mt, of chlorine production in the EU, Norway and Switzerland is membrane based and 24.6%, or 3.05 mln mt, is mercury based, according to industry body Eurochlor, while 16.6%, or 2.06 mln mt, is produced by other methods. Investment bank Helvea-Baader estimates only 40% of mercury-based production has changed its process to membrane. The bank does not expect all companies will make the transition, indicating some will exit the market. Caustic soda and chlorine are co-products. They are manufactured by passing an electric current through brine. Chlorine is a feedstock for polyvinyl chloride
25-Feb-16 
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