Evonik is closing its Bitterfeld site in the spring

The chemical company Evonik is closing its site in Bitterfeld next spring. The company said the background was the persistently challenging market conditions. The capacity utilization of the systems has not been sufficient for a long time to ensure economical operation. Various options, such as a reduction in capacity, would not have shown any long-term viable prospects.

According to the company, 40 employees work at the Bitterfeld location. The plant is scheduled to close at the end of April 2027. In Bitterfeld, the company produces chlorosilanes, which are used as a raw material for microchips and fiber optic cables. In addition to the Bitterfeld site, Evonik also wants to close another smaller plant in Hamburg, which employs 50 people. However, the businesses operated at the locations would be continued and essentially concentrated at larger locations in Germany.

The closure of the Evonik site in Bitterfeld is part of a series of setbacks for the chemical industry in Saxony-Anhalt. At the end of 2025, three German subsidiaries of the Belgian chemical company Domo Chemicals filed for bankruptcy. The US group Dow also announced in July 2025 that it would close parts of its facilities in Schkopau and Böhlen, Saxony, by the end of 2027. Industry associations have since warned of a domino effect in the Central German Chemical Triangle, where, according to the Federal Employment Agency, a total of around 100 companies with around 10,000 employees are based.