Singapore — August 28, 2025 — Aster Chemicals has declared force majeure on supplies from its ethylene cracker complex on Bukom Island, Singapore, following unexpected operational setbacks, according to industry sources.
The disruption stems from an unplanned extension of the facility’s scheduled turnaround, which has delayed the restart of both the cracker and its downstream derivative units. The outage has also disrupted feedstock flows, directly affecting dependent downstream operations such as polyether polyols production.
At this stage, Aster has not specified which product streams are impacted or how long the force majeure will last. Market participants, however, anticipate tighter supply conditions in the coming weeks, with potential delays, cuts, and interruptions across multiple chemical products.
The timing is particularly sensitive for the Southeast Asia chemicals market, where steady demand for polyols has already been pressuring supply. Traders warn that even a short restart delay could lead to upward price movements. “Any additional downtime at Bukom will ripple through the polyols market almost immediately,” one regional source told PUdaily.
While Aster Chemicals has yet to make an official public statement, it is understood that teams are working to restore operations at the cracker. Still, the timeline for a full restart remains uncertain, leaving downstream buyers bracing for further volatility in the Asian petrochemical supply chain.
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