Hanwha Solutions is preparing to take its Yeosu oxo-alcohols plant offline for maintenance in November 2025, according to sources close to the company in South Korea. The decision, while expected, has not been formally confirmed by an official spokesperson, and details such as the exact start date and the length of the outage are not yet known.
The Yeosu plant produces a mix of oxo-alcohols, including N-butanol (NBA) with a capacity of approximately 10,000 metric tons per year, isobutanol (IBA) at about 5,000 metric tons, and 2-ethyl hexanol (2-EH) at a much larger scale of 125,000 metric tons per year. Given the scale of the 2-EH output in particular, even a brief disruption could ripple across downstream uses, plastics, plasticizers, coatings and other chemical sectors that rely on these intermediates.
While maintenance turnarounds are usual in the chemical industry, what remains unclear in this case is how long Hanwha intends to keep the unit shut. Whether the closure will be a routine stoppage or involve more extensive repairs could make a large difference to capacity utilization and supply chain tightness in the region. In light of global supply chain pressures and fluctuations in raw material (like butenes, syngas or other feedstocks), the market is sensitive to any signals of reduced supply of oxo-alcohols.
Until Hanwha issues a formal notice, buyers and downstream manufacturers will likely monitor inventories, order book commitments, and price trajectories for oxo-alcohols. If the outage extends or coincides with feedstock supply constraints, there could be upward pressure on prices, or at least some risk premia built in for those depending heavily on steady 2-EH, IBA or NBA supply.
