INEOS Inovyn has completed the acquisition of strategically important chemical manufacturing assets at Runcorn, safeguarding approximately 75 jobs and securing the future of Britain’s only ethylene dichloride production facility.
The transaction was completed on 30 October after an agreement reached in August received the necessary approvals. It involves assets previously owned by Vynova Runcorn Limited, including its ethylene dichloride production plant and its remaining 50% shareholding in Runcorn MCP Limited.
The sale follows Vynova Runcorn entering administration in 2025. Restructuring adviser Opus confirmed that the completed transaction preserves employment at the Cheshire facility and brings the associated manufacturing operations under the control of INEOS Inovyn, the existing site operator and joint venture partner.
Ethylene dichloride, commonly known as EDC, is an important industrial intermediate used in the production of vinyl chloride monomer, which is subsequently converted into polyvinyl chloride, or PVC. PVC is widely used in construction products, including pipes, window frames and other building materials.
The Runcorn facility is the UK’s last remaining domestic EDC production asset. Its continued operation helps preserve a manufacturing capability that would otherwise be difficult to replace without significant investment in new chemical processing infrastructure.
The wider Runcorn complex is also an important centre for chlor-alkali production, which converts salt and electricity into chlorine, caustic soda and associated chemicals. Those materials support a broad range of industrial activities, including water treatment, pharmaceuticals, food manufacturing and chemical processing.
INEOS says the site supplies approximately 98% of the chlorine used in drinking water treatment in Britain, illustrating the concentration of an essential industrial input within one major production location. The figure refers to the company’s stated supply position rather than to the share of finished drinking water produced at the site.
The acquisition integrates the production of chlorine and EDC more closely under common ownership. These processes are connected through the wider chemical value chain, and maintaining them at an established industrial site can support continuity of raw material supply and the efficient use of shared infrastructure.
For customers dependent on chemicals manufactured at Runcorn, the transaction provides greater certainty over the continued availability of domestic production. It also protects specialist skills associated with operating and maintaining complex chemical manufacturing equipment.
However, the long-term economics of UK chemical manufacturing remain challenging. Energy-intensive production is exposed to electricity prices, carbon compliance costs, international competition and trade arrangements affecting the movement of chemical products.
Stephen Dossett, chief executive of INEOS Inovyn, has called for stronger government measures to address those pressures. The company argues that lower energy and compliance costs, alongside appropriate trade protections, are necessary to maintain a competitive domestic chemicals sector.
The Runcorn workforce forms part of a wider industrial cluster incorporating several chemical manufacturers and supporting businesses. Preserving the EDC operation therefore has implications beyond the employees directly transferred through the acquisition, including the reliability of interconnected processes and industrial services at the site.
The completion removes the immediate uncertainty surrounding ownership of the former Vynova assets and gives INEOS Inovyn control of the remaining joint venture interest. Future investment and operating decisions will take place within a consolidated business responsible for an important part of Britain’s chlorine and PVC supply chain.
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