OxyChem Ludington calcium chloride facility
Large load · 1600 SOUTH MADISON STREET, Ludington, MI
The OxyChem Ludington facility is a calcium chloride plant inside the city of Ludington, Michigan. It makes pellets and flakes from brine piped in from Manistee. OxyChem, the chemical unit of Occidental Petroleum, sold its business to Berkshire Hathaway on January 2, 2026, and the Ludington plant transferred with it. Steam used in its evaporation step is supplied by the electric utility near the facility, according to the state air permit record.
Overview
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy permit record describes the plant as manufacturing calcium chloride pellet and flake products from calcium chloride rich brine piped to Ludington from a facility in Manistee. Evaporation and drying are the major processes, and in the evaporation step steam boils water out of the intermediate solution. The permit says steam for this process is provided by the electric utility near the facility, and that the industrial park also contains an office furniture operation and other industrial facilities. Dry product lines are controlled by venturi scrubbers and spray towers.
Profile
- Ownership change to Berkshire Hathaway
- Occidental announced on January 2, 2026 that it had completed the $9.7 billion sale of OxyChem to Berkshire Hathaway. The announcement did not name specific facilities, but the Mason County Press reported that OxyChem operates the Ludington plant, so ownership of that facility effectively transferred. Legacy environmental and legal liabilities from past operations remain with an Occidental subsidiary, and remediation at designated sites continues under Occidental's oversight. The local paper reported no public changes to employment, production or day-to-day operations at the plant.
- Plant history
- The Mason County Press notes the Ludington site dates back to World War II-era magnesium production. OxyChem purchased the Ludington plant from Dow Chemical in 2009. The plant uses naturally occurring brine resources to produce liquid and solid calcium chloride, and the OxyChem company page lists its Ludington, Michigan calcium chloride operation alongside product lines such as Dowflake and Peladow, and says OxyChem has a top-tier position in the principal products it manufactures and markets.
Facility
- Activity
- Calcium chloride pellets and flakes from brine
- Industry
- Manufacturing
- Site type
- Facility
- Operating status
- Operating
Related records
Timeline
- Jan 2, 2026
- Occidental completes sale of OxyChem to Berkshire Hathaway, including the Ludington plant
Berkshire Hathaway acquisition of OxyChem transfers ownership of Ludington plant | MasonCountyPress.com