MOSCOW (MRC) -- Japan-based Mitsubishi Chemical is in plans to shut its No.1 purified terephthalic acid (PTA) plant for a maintenance turnaround, reported Apic-online.
A Polymerupdate source in India informed that the plant is slated to be taken offstream on December 1, 2015 and will remain shut for a period of around 15 days. Currently, the plant is operating at full production capacity rates.
Located at Haldia in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, the No.1 plant has a production capacity of 470,000 mt/year.
Last October, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co. told "PetroChemical News" (PCN) that it had decided to discontinue its purified terephthalic acid (PTA) business in Japan. Mitsubishi currently operates a 260,000-t/y PTA plant at Mizushima, Japan, through its Mizushima Aroma joint venture with Toyobo Co. A spokesperson at Mitsubishi, when asked for the reason behind its decision to quit the PTA business, said "we cannot anticipate improvement of the profit without global oversupply." The company is "now examining" when to exit the business.
As MRC informed previously, in October 2015, Mitsubishi Polyester Film, Inc. announced an investment of USD100 million to increase its capacity for biaxially oriented polyester (BOPET) film at its plant in Greer, SC. The investment will include a new film production line scheduled to start up mid-year 2017.
Mitsubishi Chemical with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, is a diversified chemical company involved in petrochemicals, polymers, agrochemicals, speciality chemicals and pharmaceuticals. The company's main focus is on three business pillars: petrochemicals, performance and functional products, and health care.
MRC