DID Press: German lubricant manufacturer FUCHS SE has announced the suspension of operations at its joint Alhamrani-Fuchs Petroleum Saudi Arabia plant at Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port following a major fire on July 25 that caused extensive damage.
The company said the production shutdown will remain in place until further notice. The Yanbu facility, considered FUCHS’s third-largest production site after its plants in Germany and China, produces around 150,000 tonnes of engine oils, lubricants and greases annually, with exports reaching 26 countries.
FUCHS said it will rely on existing inventories and production capacity from other facilities to minimize disruptions to supply chains. However, the company warned that a prolonged suspension could lead to delays in deliveries, higher transportation costs and additional pressure on lubricant markets, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa.
Neither FUCHS nor Saudi authorities have announced the exact cause of the fire. However, some reports have linked the incident to drone and missile attacks from Yemen on Saudi ports on July 25 and escalating maritime tensions affecting the country’s infrastructure.