RELEASED ON 11/01/13 (DD/MM/YY)

Asahi Kasei is running its two acrylonitrile (CAN) plants in Japan at a reduced rate of 70-80% because of weak demand, a company source said on Friday.

Its 150,000 tonne/year plant in Kawasaki is operating at around 70% of capacity, while its 200,000 tonne/year plant in Mizushima is running at a slightly higher rate of about 80%, the source said.

Asahi Kasei’s third ACN line with a 100,000 tonne/year capacity in Mizushima, on the other hand, has been shut since May 2012 with no definite restart date.

The company is a major ACN producer in Japan.

In the week ended 4 January, ACN prices were assessed at $1,800-1,850/tonne (€1,350-1,388/tonne) CFR (cost & freight) northeast (NE) Asia, up by about $50/tonne from the previous month, according to ICIS.

($1 = €0.75)

SOURCE ICIS News - For internal use only