DATE : 2014-08-19
A planned capacity expansion has been cancelled by Nippon Shokubai following the opening ceremony for its new acrylic acid plant located in Himeji, Japan. The planned expansion was worth around $56 M and would have added 30,000 tonnes/y capacity for superabsorbent polymers (SAP) to the current 30,000 tonnes/y at the firm's subsidiary, Nisshoku Chemical Industry, in Zhangjiagang, China. The firm resolved to prioritize expansion in other Chinese regions because of the change in SAP market situation in the country. Separately, Nippon Shokubai had increased the capacity for its Himeji plant by 80,000 tonnes/y to 540,000 tonnes/y. Sites in Indonesia, Singapore and the US have increased capacity to a total of 240,000 tonnes/y capacity, due to growing acrylic acid demand. In addition, Nippon Shokubai had also increased N-phenylmaleimide (PMI) capacity at the Himeji plant by 100,000 tonnes/y, and added an incinerator system for waste liquids.
The firm will also add 3000 tonnes/y capacity for Acryviewa acrylic resin to the current 6000 tonnes/y at the Himeji plant. Completion is scheduled in end-Apr 2016.
SOURCE Specialty Chemicals