MOSCOW (MRC) -- Asahi Kasei Synthetic Rubber Singapore Pte. Ltd., a fully owned subsidiary of Asahi Kasei Corp., has announced that it will increase the production capacity of its S-SBR plant on Jurong Island, Singapore, according to GV.
The company said it will expand both of the S-SBR lines at the site by a combined 30,000 t/y, raising the plant’s total capacity to 130,000 t/y, to reinforce its supply capability and meet further demand growth.
Start-up of the expanded capacity is scheduled for January 2019.
According to the company, demand for tyres that provide enhanced fuel-efficiency has been growing rapidly and is forecast to continue to do so as tyre production in emerging countries grows in line with greater motorisation and as environmental regulations around the world become increasingly stringent.
Asahi Kasei currently operates S-SBR plants in Japan (Kanagawa and Oita prefectures) and Singapore. The Singapore plant began operation in 2013.
As MRC informed previously, on 15 February, 2016, Asahi Kasei mothballed its styrene monomer (SM) plant in Japan. The exact reason behind the permanent shutdown could not be ascertained. Located in Mizushima, Japan, the plant had a production capacity of 320,000 mt/year.
Asahi Kasei Corporation is a global Japanese chemical company. Its main products are chemicals and materials science.
MRC