TotalEnergies Force Majeure Halts Metallocene Polyethylene at Feluy, Belgium

On 2 July 2026, TotalEnergies declared force majeure on its metallocene polyethylene (mPE) grades produced at Feluy in Belgium. The company told customers that the plant had been unable to restart output of these grades after a series of mechanical breakdowns. The affected line can produce around 85,000 metric tons per year of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), a specialty family of resins used mainly in high-performance film and flexible packaging.

The declaration adds to a difficult year for the Feluy complex, one of TotalEnergies' largest polymer sites in Europe. Polypropylene (PP) output at the same site has been under force majeure since 21 January 2026, when the producer reported unforeseeable equipment failures across its PP units. A separate force majeure followed in late January covering PP from its Gonfreville plant in France, and in April 2026 the group declared force majeure on low-density polyethylene (LDPE) from its Carling site, also in France. The repeated disruptions point to an ongoing reliability problem rather than a single isolated event.

TotalEnergies is among the leading European producers of metallocene polyethylene, with a grade range spanning very low-density to high-density resins. Because these materials are valued for their toughness, clarity and low sealing temperatures, buyers in food and flexible packaging are the most exposed to the shortfall. Standard LLDPE grades can substitute in some applications, but not all mPE film specifications are easy to replace at short notice.

The wider European polyethylene market remains oversupplied, which should limit the impact on general resin availability. The timing also softens the blow. From 1 July 2026, under the EU-US tariff agreement, US-origin polymers including LLDPE gained duty-free access to the European market, improving the competitiveness and availability of imported material. Converters that rely specifically on TotalEnergies mPE grades may still face tighter supply and possible reformulation until the Feluy line returns to service.

As of 5 July 2026, TotalEnergies had not communicated a restart date or an expected duration for the force majeure. The situation remains active, and the commercial effect will depend on how quickly the company can repair the unit and resume normal metallocene production.