Evonik to shut Hamburg and Bitterfeld plants in 2027, cutting 90 jobs

Evonik Industries announced on 11 September 2026 that it will close its Hamburg and Bitterfeld sites in 2027, eliminating a total of 90 jobs – 50 in Hamburg and 40 in Bitterfeld – as it consolidates production at larger locations.^Handelsblatt

Scope of the closures

The two plants are small relative to Evonik’s broader network. The Hamburg site produces cosmetics and personal‑care ingredients and employs 50 people as of the announcement date. The Bitterfeld plant manufactures chlorosilanes and employs 40 people.^Handelsblatt The combined impact of 90 positions will be reflected in the 2027 workforce plan.

Evonik site closures and job impact (source: Handelsblatt)

Site	Jobs affected	Business area
Hamburg	50 people	Cosmetics & personal care
Bitterfeld	40 people	Chlorosilane production

Rationale behind the move

Evonik frames the closures as a response to “over‑fragmented” production, administration and laboratory structures that generate “unnecessarily high costs” and weaken competitiveness.^Handelsblatt Interim CEO Claus Rettig explained that concentrating activities at larger sites will allow the group to work more efficiently, accelerate innovation and strengthen its market position.

“That leads to unnecessarily high costs and weakens our competitiveness. Therefore we must bundle Evonik more spatially and concentrate our structures deliberately to work more efficiently, drive innovation faster and strengthen our competitiveness,” said Claus Rettig, interim chairman of the board.^Handelsblatt

The company added that it will work “in close coordination with employee representatives” to develop socially acceptable solutions for the affected workers in the coming months.^Handelsblatt

Company context

Evonik Industries AG is a German specialty‑chemicals group headquartered in Essen. The firm reported 31,053 employees in its most recent filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.^{SEC filing} Christian Kullmann is listed as chief executive, although the Handelsblatt article quotes interim chairman Claus Rettig as the spokesperson for the restructuring plan.

Evonik’s broader strategy, outlined in recent corporate communications, emphasizes reducing fragmented structures and lowering costs across its portfolio. The Hamburg and Bitterfeld closures are presented as the latest concrete step in that programme.

Timeline and next steps

• 11 September 2026 – Evonik publicly announces the planned closures of the Hamburg and Bitterfeld sites.^Handelsblatt
• 2027 (planned) – Physical shutdown of both facilities and associated workforce reductions.^Handelsblatt

The exact month of the 2027 shutdown has not been disclosed, nor have the terms of any severance or redeployment packages. Evonik said it will continue discussions with employee representatives to reach socially responsible outcomes, but the specifics remain unknown.

Analysts tracking German industrial restructuring will note that the 90‑job reduction is modest compared with larger sector‑wide programmes, yet it signals Evonik’s willingness to act decisively on cost pressure. The impact on the local labour markets in Hamburg and Bitterfeld will depend on the speed of any redeployment measures and the availability of alternative employment in the chemical cluster regions.

Further updates are expected as Evonik finalises the shutdown schedule and as the German chemicals industry reports on the broader cost‑competitiveness drive.