The Chemours Co. paused production at its titanium dioxide manufacturing facility in Altamira, Mexico, beginning May 31, due to the country’s ongoing drought.
The decision comes after the Mexico state of Tamaulipas government requested the company and other manufacturers in the area to minimize their water intake, Chemours stated in the May 31 press release.
“We are working closely with government, business, and community partners to identify and implement short-and long-term solutions,” Chemours stated in the release. “At this time, Chemours cannot predict this event’s duration due to the uncertainty of the factors outside of its control.”
In a May 18 Facebook video post, Secretary of Hydraulic Resources For Social Development Raúl Quiroga Álvarez said the Tamaulipas government decided to suspend all water extraction in the middle and lower part of the nearby basin. Mexico officials also decided to limit water use for public consumption until supply stabilizes.
“Drought and water plundering have caused that for the first time in history, there is an imminent risk that the metropolitan area of Tampico, Madero, and Altamira, will be left without water for all sectors of consumption, including for the 800,000 inhabitants of the metropolitan area,” according to a translation of Álvarez’s remarks in the video.
The ordinance has also led to the shutdown of other manufacturing plants in the area. Petrochemical company Saudi Basic Industries Corp. and resin maker Ineos Styrolution stopped production in May due to the government order, Plastics News reported.
Furthermore, Orbia’s polymer subsidiary Vestolit halted production at its two PVC production facilities in Altamira, the company stated in a May 21 force majeure notice.
“Given the effects of such an event, we will not be able to fulfill our obligations,” Vestolit stated in the press release.
Vestolit and Ineos Styrolution have sent force majeure notices to their customers as a result of the pause in operations. Ineos has three production plants and a port in Altamira, which produce heat-resistant resin for customers in healthcare, packaging, automotive, electronics, household and construction.
