France’s petrochemical market is bracing for a lengthy outage as Naphtachimie has taken its large steam cracker in Lavera offline for scheduled maintenance. Industry sources indicate that the shutdown began in the first half of September 2025 and, according to market chatter, the facility may remain out of operation until the end of the year. While the company has not issued an official confirmation of the exact duration, the prospect of an extended downtime is already drawing close attention from regional buyers and suppliers.
Situated on the Mediterranean coast, the Lavera cracker is a key producer of ethylene and propylene—two fundamental building blocks for plastics and numerous downstream chemicals. The unit boasts a nameplate ethylene capacity of 740,000 metric tons per year and a propylene capacity of 515,000 metric tons per year, making it one of the most significant installations of its kind in Europe. Any prolonged outage could influence feedstock availability and pricing across the continent, particularly if demand strengthens heading into the winter months.
Market participants in France and neighboring countries are monitoring the situation closely, weighing the potential impact on contract negotiations and spot trade flows. For now, Naphtachimie has kept details limited, and traders say uncertainty around the restart schedule is likely to sustain a cautious mood in both the ethylene and propylene markets. Until the company provides a definitive update, the industry will be watching for any signs of a shift in supply dynamics that might ripple through Europe’s polymer and derivative sectors.
