Aster Chemicals and Energy is expected to keep its monoethylene glycol (MEG) unit in Jurong, Singapore, offline for longer than initially planned, after postponing the facility’s restart due to unforeseen circumstances.
According to a source in Singapore, the unit, which was shut in early August 2025 for scheduled maintenance, was originally slated to return to service by the end of the month. “The company has delayed the restart of the unit due to unforeseen circumstances. The unit was shut in early August for a turnaround and was initially scheduled to resume operations by the end of August. However, an official confirmation from the concerned authority was not available,” the source said.
The Jurong plant has a nameplate production capacity of 900,000 mt/year of MEG, making it one of the key suppliers in the region. With no clear timeline for its restart, traders and downstream polyester producers are expected to monitor developments closely, as any prolonged outage could tighten regional availability at a time when fundamentals remain fragile.
Market observers noted that while Asia currently holds adequate inventories, extended disruptions at a large-scale facility such as Aster’s could shift supply balances if demand shows even a modest recovery in the months ahead.
