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Batangas Plant Assets & Technologies | Portfolio Planning PLUS

JG Summit Halts Batangas Petrochemical Operations

JG Summit Holdings has indefinitely suspended operations at its Batangas petrochemical complex, marking a pivotal shift for the Philippines' sole integrated naphtha-based production facility. The decision, driven by structural challenges in global markets, will idle the site for at least two years while the conglomerate evaluates strategic alternatives.

Petrochemical Operations Overview

JG Summit Olefins Corporation (JGSOC) operates the country's only fully integrated petrochemical complex, featuring:

• Naphtha cracker: 480,000 t/yr ethylene and 240,000 t/yr propylene capacity

Downstream units:

• 570,000 t/yr polyethylene (PE) across three plants
• 300,000 t/yr polypropylene (PP)
• Ancillary units producing benzene, toluene, and mixed xylenes

The complex supplied 100% of domestic PE and 68% of PP demand in 2024

Shutdown Drivers

The shutdown of JG Summit’s Batangas petrochemical complex was driven by a combination of challenging market dynamics and structural industry pressures. A persistent global oversupply, largely from ethane-based producers in the Middle East and North America, steadily eroded profit margins for naphtha-derived products. This unfavorable environment pushed polymer spreads to historic lows, culminating in JG Summit Olefins Corporation (JGSOC) reporting a ₱3.3 billion ($59 million) loss in the first quarter of 2025.

Beyond market forces, structural challenges also weighed heavily on the operation. The Batangas facility faced significantly higher operating costs compared to gas-based crackers, making it less competitive on a global scale. At the same time, export demand weakened as new regional capacities came online, further limiting the company’s ability to offset domestic pressures.

Operational and Financial Impact

Operationally, these factors forced JGSOC to fully halt its polyethylene and polypropylene production since January 2025. The shutdown created a domestic supply gap, leaving the Philippines entirely dependent on imports for these essential polymers. Financially, the impact was severe: JG Summit’s consolidated profit dropped by 61% year-on-year to ₱4.3 billion ($77 million), and the parent company had to absorb ₱17.1 billion ($306 million) in subsidiary debt as part of the restructuring.

Strategic Adjustments

In the wake of the shutdown, JG Summit has prioritized asset preservation by keeping the Batangas facility’s equipment in a condition that would allow for a potential restart or sale in the future. The company has also introduced workforce rationalization measures, rolling out employee care programs to support staff affected by the closure. At the same time, JG Summit is managing its remaining inventory by continuing to sell products from existing stockpiles, ensuring that any residual market demand is met.

Importantly, the conglomerate’s LPG trading operations under Peak Fuel Corp. remain unaffected by the petrochemical plant’s closure, providing some continuity in its energy-related business activities. Financial analysts believe that, despite incurring one-time restructuring costs of ₱7.9 billion ($142 million), the shutdown could actually enhance JG Summit’s consolidated EBITDA by 12 to 15 percent annually, as the company eliminates the losses associated with its petrochemical operations.

This strategic retreat from the petrochemicals sector allows JG Summit to shift resources and focus toward its core businesses, such as food manufacturing through Universal Robina and aviation via Cebu Pacific—both of which achieved strong double-digit growth in early 2025.

Outlook

The company’s decision highlights the ongoing structural challenges faced by Asian naphtha-based producers in a global environment increasingly shaped by the economics of shale gas and the competitive advantage it offers to gas-based petrochemical facilities.

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JGSOC production site has been added.

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JG Summit Holdings has been added.


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