logo
LyondellBasell to divest four European sites in deal with AEQUITA

LyondellBasell to divest four European sites in deal with AEQUITA

KUALA LUMPUR: LyondellBasell (LYB), a leader in the global chemical industry, has entered into an agreement and exclusive negotiations with AEQUITA for the sale of select olefins and polyolefins assets and the associated business in Europe.
The sites to be sold have been part of the previously announced European strategic assessment and are located in Berre (France), Münchsmünster (Germany), Carrington (United Kingdom), and Tarragona (Spain).
"This contemplated transaction is a significant step in LYB's transformation to grow and upgrade our core. We are committed to operating our assets safely and reliably throughout this process and will continue to support our customers, employees and other key stakeholders.
"Europe remains a core market for LYB and one we will continue to participate in following this transaction with more of a focus on value creation through establishing profitable leadership in circular and renewable solutions," said LyondellBasell chief executive officer, Peter Vanacker, in a statement.
Meanwhile, AEQUITA managing partner, Christoph Himmel, said the acquisition of these assets from LYB marks another important step in expanding its industrial footprint. Each site brings a strong operational foundation and a highly experienced, committed employee base.
The assets and business to be acquired by AEQUITA include integrated and non-integrated sites within LYB's European olefins and polyolefins business, as well as supporting central functions based at the company's Rotterdam headquarters and various locations.
The sites together represent a scaled olefins and polyolefins platform strategically located in proximity to a longstanding customer base and with access and connectivity to key infrastructure.
The agreement is a put option deed under which AEQUITA has committed to enter into an agreed form purchase agreement if LYB exercises its put option after the conclusion of certain works council consultation processes.
Closing of the proposed transaction is currently expected in the first half of 2026, subject to the completion of the information and consultation processes with the relevant employee representative bodies in accordance with applicable laws, as well as regulatory and other customary closing conditions.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Vietnam welcomes 9.2 million international visitors in first five months
Vietnam welcomes 9.2 million international visitors in first five months

The Star

time3 hours ago

  • The Star

Vietnam welcomes 9.2 million international visitors in first five months

International tourists visit Hanoi. - Photo: VNA file HANOI: Vietnam welcomed 9.2 million international arrivals in the first five months of this year, marking a 21.3 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, the National Statistics Office reported on Friday (June 6). Of the total, 7.84 million visitors arrived by air, accounting for 85.2 per cent, followed by 1.18 million arrivals by road and 175,400 by sea. Asia remained the largest source market, contributing over 7.2 million visitors. European arrivals exceeded 1.2 million, while the Americas accounted for more than 496,900 visitors, followed by Oceania and Africa. According to the office, the surge in international arrivals was driven by favourable visa policies, intensified tourism promotion campaigns and celebratory activities marking major national holidays. - Xinhua

Bitter return for deported Iraqis
Bitter return for deported Iraqis

The Star

time7 hours ago

  • The Star

Bitter return for deported Iraqis

IRAQI Mohammed Jalal lost 10 years of his life seeking asylum in Germany, without success. Instead of being granted refuge, he was sent back to the land he had fled. He now faces the same challenges that drove him to leave the northern Kurdistan region of Iraq. More than a year has passed, and he is still without a job. Jalal is just one of thousands of Iraqis and migrants from many other countries who have been forced out of Europe as it tightens its migration policies, driven by the rise of the extreme right. European states are now working closely with Iraq to support returnees by funding programmes primarily aimed at tackling unemployment. In the town of Ranya in autonomous Kurdistan, Jalal moved back in with his elderly father to a cramped two-room apartment where they sleep on mattresses on a cold concrete floor. 'If I could return to Europe I would,' 39-year-old Jalal said. He still dreams of a day when German authorities grant him asylum. Mohamed Jalal posing for a picture in his apartment in Ranya. — AFP 'I could become legal and work in a Kurdish restaurant,' he said. 'Here I don't have a job.' In 2015, Jalal undertook the perilous journey across the Mediterranean from the Turkish city of Izmir to Greece. He went to North Macedonia, Serbia and Croatia before finally reaching Germany. There, he settled in a centre for asylum seekers and received €300 a month. Despite restrictions on asylum seekers getting jobs, Jalal travelled to cities including Nuremberg and Munich where he worked illegally and had to be careful not to be caught. Jalal's asylum requests were denied twice and Germany expelled him in January last year. Back home, following a failed attempt to open a bakery, he worked for two months at a falafel kiosk earning US$7 a day. Unemployed again, he now receives US$150 from his family abroad. 'I live on this meagre amount,' he said. In the last quarter of 2024, around 125,000 non-Europeans were ordered to leave a country in the European Union, 16% more than during the same period in 2023. 'As a matter of principle, Germany repatriates people who are required to leave the country,' the German embassy said. Mohamed Ismail working in his repair shop in Arbil. — AFP It said Germany 'has given protection and shelter to millions of people who have fled war and violence in their home countries', including many Iraqis, mostly from the north. But the embassy warned that 'there are no prospects of residence for people who enter Germany irregularly in the hope of a better life and who have no need for protection'. Despite presenting itself as an oasis of stability in turbulent Iraq, Kurdistan is grappling with economic challenges that push its young people to seek opportunities elsewhere. Many have lost their lives while trying to reach Europe. Hardi Ahmed left Ranya, east of the Kurdistan capital Arbil, in 2021. He called his journey to the United Kingdom the 'path of death' after losing three friends to drowning, one in the channel between France and Britain. Upon arrival, Ahmed quickly realised he was not welcome. He was turned back to France, where the Iraqi embassy helped him return home. Back in Kurdistan, the 39-year-old is now unemployed, and believes the authorities should provide jobs. 'If not, youth will be forced... to go to Europe,' he said. After decades marred by conflict, including a US-led invasion followed by insurgencies and the rise of the Islamic State group, Iraq has now regained some stability. The German government-linked development agency GIZ supports centres in Arbil and Baghdad that provide returnees with counselling and help in job searches, training and providing financial aid for small businesses. Funded by Germany, Switzerland and the EU, the centres assisted 350 people between June 2023 and August 2024. The EU ambassador to Iraq, Thomas Seiler, said that 'some member states have agreed on bilateral return and readmission agreements with Iraq', and the EU is finalising a similar deal. The capacity of many European cities and villages 'to receive and integrate' migrants 'has long been reached', Seiler warned. 'Irregular migration should now clearly be prevented.' Seiler said the EU funds programmes to assist Iraq in welcoming back returnees. It also provides tens of millions of euros to support initiatives aimed at helping 'Iraqis stay in Iraq'. With funding from Denmark and Finland, the Kurdish Rwanga Foundation launched a programme to reintegrate returnees. It has so far trained 120 people on starting small businesses and provided grants of up to US$5,600 to 15 of them. Kamiran Shivan, head of the foundation's programmes, said beneficiaries' sectors include construction, carpentry, mobile and electronics repair, restaurants and beauty salons. Many Iraqis return home burdened with debt from the cost of their journey to Europe. 'They come back without having a source of income or assets that would allow them to repay their debts,' Shivan said. Mohammed Ismail, 29, left for Germany in 2016, hoping for a better life and a European passport. But more than five years later, nothing has changed for him. Germany rejected his asylum requests three times on the basis that Arbil is considered safe. Back home in Kurdistan, he received a grant from Rwanga to become a partner in a mechanic's workshop, which provides him with US$550 a month – enough to support his wife and three-year-old child. 'I no longer consider emigrating,' Ismail said. 'If I return to Europe, it will be as a tourist.' — AFP

Tottenham Sack Postecoglou After Europa League Triumph
Tottenham Sack Postecoglou After Europa League Triumph

The Sun

time7 hours ago

  • The Sun

Tottenham Sack Postecoglou After Europa League Triumph

ANGE POSTECOGLOU was sacked as Tottenham manager on Friday, just 16 days after the Australian ended the club's 17-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League. Postecoglou led Tottenham to a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in Bilbao to clinch the north Londoners' first European prize in 41 years and secure a place in next season's Champions League. But the Australian paid the price for Tottenham's worst domestic season since they were relegated from the top flight in 1976-77. 'Following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the Club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties,' a statement on Tottenham's official X account said. Exactly two years after he was hired from Celtic, Postecoglou's eventful spell in north London was brought to a ruthless end by chairman Daniel Levy. Tottenham lost 22 of their 38 Premier League games to finish 17th in the table, above only relegated trio Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton. 'The Board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the club for a change to take place,' the statement said. 'Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the club's greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph. 'It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond. 'This has been one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have taken lightly, nor one we have rushed to conclude. 'We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision.' Postecoglou had forcefully defended his track record during the season and bristled at the constant questions over his future after his trophy success. 'Forever connected' with Spurs He clashed with Tottenham fans during a defeat at Chelsea when he cupped his ear to them in a defiant gesture after a goal that was eventually disallowed. That blunder encapsulated his turbulent time in north London, but the 59-year-old bowed out gracefully. 'My overriding emotion is one of pride. The opportunity to lead one of England's historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime,' he said in a statement released moments after his sacking. 'That night in Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream. 'Sharing that experience with all those who truly love this club and seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget. We are forever connected.' Tottenham were ravaged by injuries and in the latter stages of the campaign Postecoglou focused on keeping his key players fit and fresh for the Europa League. The gamble paid off but even securing Tottenham's first trophy since the 2008 League Cup was not enough to save him. He becomes the fifth manager sacked by Levy in the past six years. Brentford boss Thomas Frank, Fulham manager Marco Silva, Crystal Palace chief Oliver Glasner and Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola are reportedly the leading candidates to replace Postecoglou. Postecoglou made a blistering start to his Tottenham career, earning rave reviews for his 'Angeball' style of attacking play. However, a string of defeats at the end of the season blew a golden opportunity to qualify for the Champions League. In September 2024, Postecoglou boldly stated that he 'always wins things' in his second year. He delivered on that pledge but even the euphoria from the Europa League win could not save him from the axe. Postecoglou had largely retained the support of his players and Tottenham defender Pedro Porro saluted his efforts. 'Thank you for everything, boss. I'll always be grateful for the way you led us, defended us, and kept us going through all the highs and lows,' Porro said. 'Above everything, you gave us one of the greatest moments in the club's history and for that, you'll always be celebrated.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store