MOSCOW (MRC) -- Taiwan VCM Corporation has shut its vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) unit in Linyuan, Taiwan following a gas leakage that injured at least ten personnel on the site, reported CommoPlast with reference to market sources.
The initial investigation by The Labour Inspection Office found that accident might be a result of the leakage of residual dichloroethane in the pipeline. The plant was under maintenance when the leakage occurred.
The company has a production capacity of 485,000 tons/year of VCM. Taiwan VCM Corporation supplies its VCM output to China General Plastics Corporation (CGPC), which operates a 220,000 tons/year polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant in the adjacent location.
Sources believed that the impact on the market could be minimal given the sluggish demand across the Asia region. The downward pressure remain relatively strong in the near term, especially in the absence of Indian buyers.
According to MRC's DataScope report, exports of suspension polyvinyl chloride (SPVC) from Russia totalled 45,600 tonnes in the first three months of 2020, down by 4% year on year. Imports increased, but still remained at a low level. Last month's exports of Russian suspension (excluding shipments to the countries of the Customs Union ) were about 12,500 tonnes, compared to 15,900 tonnes in February. Some producers slightly reduced their exports in March due to weaker demand for resin in foreign markets. Thus, overall exports totalled 45,400 tonnes in the first three months of 2020 versus 47,300 tonnes a year earlier.
Taiwan VCM Corporation, is the first petrochemical company in Taiwan to adopt Ethylene Process to manufacture vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), as raw material for the manufacturing of PVC related products, and 32% industrial grade hydrochloric acid (HCl).
MRC