Date: 2014, May 28
Sumitomo Seika Chemicals Co., Ltd.
We are pleased to announce that the Company has decided to establish a new production base for its super
absorbent polymer "AQUA KEEP", the Company’s trade-name, in the Republic of Korea to meet brisk
demands for this product, with an annual production capacity of 59,000 metric tons and the production site at
Yeosu, South Jeolla Province.
This production base will be operated and managed by the Company’s new wholly-owned Korean subsidiary,
which will be established in June 2014, and the plant will be put into operation in May 2016.
The total investment amount for this project, including the cost of land to be acquired, is estimated to be about
10 billion yen.
<Overview of Subsidiary>
1. Company Name
To be determined
2. Capital
5 billion yen (equivalent to approximately 52.6 billion Korean won)
3. Location
Head Office/ Plant: Yeosu, South Korea
4. Date of Establishment
June 2014 (planned)
5. Ownership
Wholly-owned by SSC’s group (planned)
<Future Outlook>
The establishment of this new subsidiary will have only a minor impact on our consolidated financial results
for the fiscal year ending in March, 2015.
(References)
The Company’s super absorbent polymer production facilities (as of May 2015):
1. Himeji, Japan
210,000 metric tons per year (including a new train under construction)
2. Singapore
70,000 metric tons per year
3. France (production commissioned to Arkema)
47,000 metric tons per year
Source: company website
DATE : 2014-07-26
Arkema (Paris:AKE) announces the start-up of its new plant for the production of methyl acrylate, an acrylic acid derivative used in the manufacture of polymers for water treatment, elastomers and engineering polymers. This investment, on its Clear Lake site in Texas, represents the last phase of a $110M investment plan intended to strengthen Arkema's rankings in the US acrylics market.
Following the commissioning of a 2-ethyl hexyl acrylate (2EHA) production plant in Bayport in 2012 and the opening of an acrylic acid capacity expansion in Clear Lake in June 2013, the start-up of a 45 KT methyl acrylate plant announced today represents the last phase of the revamping and capacity increase plan forArkema's acrylics business in Texas announced in November 2010.
This commissioning now makes Clear Lake one of the world's leading manufacturing sites for acrylic acid and derivatives.
With the completion of this investment program, Arkema aims to fully capitalize on the growth of acrylic acid and derivatives in the fast-growing markets of water treatment, superabsorbents and enhanced oil and gas recovery.
"With the finalization of this investment plan in the United States, our world-class site in Carling, France, and our project for the acquisition of Jurong's acrylics assets in China due to be closed early September,Arkema more than ever ranks among the world's acrylics leaders and is well positioned to serve its customers around the world from competitive and reliable production sites" , Marie-Pierre Chevallier, Global Group President for Arkema's Acrylics business unit, is pleased to confirm.
A global chemical company and France's leading chemicals producer, Arkema is building the future of the chemical industry every day. Deploying a responsible, innovation-based approach, we produce state-of-the-art specialty chemicals that provide customers with practical solutions to such challenges as climate change, access to drinking water, the future of energy, fossil fuel preservation and the need for lighter materials. With operations in more than 40 countries, some 14,000 employees and 10 research centers,Arkema generates annual revenue of some €6.1billion, and holds leadership positions in all its markets with a portfolio of internationally recognized brands.
SOURCE BusinessWire
DATE : 2014-07-25
Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co Inc (MGC) has shut a methyl methacrylate (MMA) plant for maintenance turnaround.
A Polymerupdate source in Japan informed that the plant was shut on July 20 owing to technical issues. A restart date for the plant has not been confirmed.
Located in Niigata, Japan, the plant has a production capacity of 40,000 mt/year.
SOURCE PolymerUpdate
DATE : 2014-07-25
US acrylonitrile (ACN) producer INEOS Nitriles has raised operating rates at its Green Lake facility in Texas to 70-75% from 50%, a company source confirmed on Friday.
The producer had been operating its 545,000 tonne/year plant at 50% of capacity since December, when production was reduced because of unfavourable economic conditions.
However, a brief shutdown a few weeks ago prompted INEOS to raise operating rates in order to make up for lost production, the source said.
The company plans to maintain rates at 70-75% to keep up with orders as demand had picked up amid global tightness in supply.
SOURCE Icis News
DATE : 2014-07-25
Dairen is in plans to take off-stream a vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) plant for maintenance turnaround.
A Polymerupdate sourve in Taiwan informed that the plant is likely to be taken off-stream in mid-August 2014. It is likely to remain off-stream for around one month.
Located in Mailiao, Taiwan, the plant has a production capacity of 350,000 mt/year.
SOURCE PolymerUpdate
DATE : 2014-07-23
Tongsuh Petrochemical has restarted its No.3 acrylonitrile (ACN) plant following an unexpected shutdown.
A Polymerupdate source in South Korea informed that the plant restarted early last week. It was shut a week prior to its restart on account of a power outage caused by a thunderstorm.
Located at Ulsan in South Korea, the plant has a production capacity of 245,000 mt/year.
SOURCE PolymerUpdate
DATE : 2014-07-25
China’s Shanghai SECCO Petrochemical has delayed the start up of its new 90,000 tonne/year butadiene (BD) unit to 10 August because of technical issues, market sources said on Friday.
The unit was expected to start up at the end of July, market sources added.
Shanghai SECCO has an existing 90,000 tonne/year BD unit at the same site, which is now running at 90%-95% capacity.
Both BD units are located in Shanghai, China.
SOURCE Icis News
DATE : 2014-07-25
South Korea’s SK Global Chemical (SKGC) plans to shut its 350,000 tonne/year styrene monomer (SM) facility in Ulsan early next week, a company source said.
Weak margins due to soaring feedstock costs have prompted SM makers across Asia to trim output.
“The shutdown will be at least for a month,” the source added.
The company operates a separate 420,000 tonne/year SM plant at the same location which will continue to run normally.
Other SM producers in South Korea include LG Chem, Samsung Total Petrochemical and YNCC.
SOURCE Icis News
DATE : 2014-07-25
China’s Zhejiang Satellite Petrochemical on 23 July shut down its 160,000 tonne/year crude acrylic acid and 150,000 tonne/year acrylate ester plants at Pinghu in Zhejiang province because of mechanical issues, a company source said on Friday.
The company has decided to shut both units for at least 60 working days to resolve any issues that had occurred during the operating process, the source added.
The units were operating at full tilt from March this year for four months, the source added.
Meanwhile, the company will start up its new 160,000 tonne/year crude acrylic acid and 150,000 tonne/year acrylate ester plants in Pinghu before the end of July. It will also start up at the same time its 450,000 tonne/year propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit which uses UOP Oleflex technology, the source said.
SOURCE Icis News
DATE : 2014-07-25
Celanese is in the process of expanding the nameplate capacity of its vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) plant in Frankfurt, Germany, a company source said on Thursday.
The plant is undergoing a shutdown lasting three to four weeks that will increase its capacity by 20,000 tonnes/year, the source said. The shutdown is due to be concluded at the end of July.
The plant’s current nameplate capacity is 285,000 tonnes/year, according to ICIS data. The company source confirmed that the unit’s new capacity would be slightly higher than 300,000 tonnes/year.
Celanese permanently closed its 200,000 tonne/year VAM plant in Tarragona, Spain, in December after failing to find a buyer for the site.
SOURCE Icis News
DATE : 2014-07-25
China-based Huizhou MMA Co is operating its 90,000 tonne/year methyl methacrylate (MMA) unit in Guangdong province normally after restarting it on 20 July following the completion of scheduled maintenance, a company source said on Thursday.
The MMA plant was shut down on 9 June for a 40-day turnaround.
Huizhou MMA is a subsidiary of Japan’s Mitsubishi Rayon Co (MRC).
SOURCE Icis News
Date: July 2014, 24
FMC Corporation has announced the opening of its Asian Innovation Centre located in Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park in the Pudong area of Shanghai, China. This facility will act as the company’s hub for research and development, technical innovation, operational support and executive management in the Asia Pacific region.
The 22,000 square meter facility features laboratories as well as office space, with around 60% dedicated to research and development labs. The company consolidated four sites in the Shanghai region to the new centre.
Source: Philipp Mc Dougall
DATE : 2014-07-24
Japan’s Mitsubishi Rayon Co (MRC) has shut its 55,000 tonne/year No 1 butane-based methyl methacrylate (MMA) lines in Otake for a scheduled turnaround earlier in the week, a company source said on Thursday.
The turnaround is expected to be completed by early August, the source added.
MRC’s currently has another 55,000 tonne/year butane-based No 2 MMA line and 107,000 tonne/year acetone cyanohydrin-based MMA line at the same site.
SOURCE Icis News
DATE : 2014-07-22
Americas Styrenics sent a letter to customers today announcing effective 1 August until further notice, it is declaring force majeure for all styrene sales, because of reduced feedstock ethylene supply and a force majeure from a critical supplier.
Americas Styrenics said its supplier’s ethylene force majeure was declared on 11 July, and its own current ethylene supply was also limited because of this. The company added that it is working to minimize the impact on all customers and is looking to return to full production values as soon as possible.
The Americas Styrenics announcement comes as most if not all North American styrene producers are at reduced rates because of weak demand.
US styrene spot prices have also come down recently because of a recent decline in the feedstock benzene spot market.
SOURCE Icis News
DATE : 2014-07-21
Formosa Chemical & Fibre Corp has planned to shut down its styrene monomer (SM) plant ahead of schedule.
A Polymerupdate source informed that the plant was to shut down in Q4, 2014. But, it has planned to bring forward the maintenance shutdown. However, the revised maintenance schedule could not be ascertained.
Located in Mailiao, Taiwan, the plant has a production capacity of 600,000 mt/year.
SOURCE PolymerUpdate