FCFC’s new aromatics unit achieves on-spec output

05 June 2007 08:56  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS news)--Taiwan-based aromatics maker Formosa Chemicals and Fibre Corp (FCFC) has achieved on-spec benzene and paraxylene (PX) production at its new No 3 aromatics plant following a fire at the complex last week, a company official said on Tuesday.

 

The company told ICIS news last week that it would stick to the trial runs schedule and hoped to achieve on-spec production in the later part of this month. The fire broke out at the cooling unit at the complex but caused little damage. 

 

“On-spec quality benzene and PX have started coming from the plant,” the official said. The unit is operating at about 50% capacity.

 

It was not certain when the aromatics plant would achieve 100% operating rates as it depended on feedstock supply from the olefins stream and also on the market situation, he added.

 

The company’s No 3 aromatics complex at Mailiao can produce 700,000 tonnes/year of PX, 400,000 tonnes/year of benzene and 150,000 tonnes/year of orthoxylene (OX).

 

The complex started up more than a week ago, along with the new 1.2m tonne/year No 3 cracker, which was last heard operating at about 70% capacity.

 

 

By: Mahua Chakravarty
+65 6780 4359

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