Amid weak demand across the entire global titanium dioxide (TiO₂) market, DuPont (Wilmington, Delaware / USA; www.dupont.com) has postponed the commissioning of its new plant in Altamira, Mexico from 2014 to 2015. The US chemical giant in 2011 had announced plans to build the new USD 500m facility, at a time when TiO₂ prices stood at a much higher level than today – see Plasteurope.com of 17.05.2011. Speaking to Bloomberg, a company representative said start-up of the 200,000 t/y plant would be delayed by up to 12 months “based on market conditions and customer needs.” He emphasised that there had been no change regarding the underlying investment decision.

The announcement highlights the massive decline TiO₂ prices have undergone since hitting a peak in mid-2002. According to the US group, the value of the white pigment has since dropped by 20%. As a result, Bloomberg reports, DuPont has corrected downward its prediction for TiO₂ margins, which it expects to drop by 9% in 2013. This latest announcement follows on the heels of Rio Tinto’s (London / UK; www.riotinto.com) decision to abandon plans for two titanium dioxide projects in Canada and Madagascar – see Plasteurope.com of 11.02.2013.