— By Plasteurope.com staff — 

Japanese chemicals group Daicel (Osaka; www.daicel.com) has announced the postponement of the commissioning of its cyclo-olefin copolymer (COC) production plant in Germany, citing softer-than-expected sales and rising project costs.

The 25,000 t/y facility is intended as a sister plant to the group’s existing COC operation in Oberhausen. Currently under construction in Leuna, Germany, by subsidiary Topas Advanced Polymers, the line was originally scheduled to start up in the coming weeks. Commissioning has now been pushed back by around a year, with start-up planned for the first quarter of 2027.

Daicel said the decision reflects a reassessment of market conditions, including higher construction and labour costs, as well as a more cautious view of future demand for COC. A Plasteurope.com request for further comment was unanswered at press time.

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The delay follows a deterioration in sales performance. Daicel had previously projected COC sales growth of 45% for the 2025/26 financial year (ending 31 March), followed by a further 50% increase in 2026/27. However, by early February 2026, COC sales were down 4%, according to the company’s latest figures.

The postponement may come as a disappointment to customers seeking additional supply. At the K trade fair last October, Topas managing director Gregor Bommel noted that some customers remained hesitant to commit to long-term volume contracts, partly due to concerns over delivery reliability should the Oberhausen line experience an outage.

He also struck a more cautious note on demand growth, pointing to the challenging global economic environment.

Topas reported sales of around EUR 81.5 mn in the 2024/25 financial year. Europe accounts for approximately half of revenues, with North America contributing around 30% and Asia the remaining 20%.